Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday Gets Green Light

The concept of going green is something the City’s newly named Environmental Services Department (formerly the Solid Waste Dept.), has embracing for quite some time with its 24-hour, 7-day a week Recycling Center, E-waste events, Household Hazardous Waste Facility and newly constructed outdoor recycling exhibit.

And the strides made by Missouri University of Science and Technology with its highly acclaimed and award-winning solar houses and solar cars, hydrogen fueling station, wind turbine, and other green initiatives, have clearly demonstrated that the Rolla community is all about going green, and capitalizing on the benefits of green energy and a green economy.

In this same spirit of going green, the Rolla City Council recently approved a City Ordinance to “opt in” the Green Sales Tax Holiday enacted by the Missouri State Legislature in 2008 (Senate Bill 1181). By enacting this ordinance, the City of Rolla elects to allow the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday established by Sec. 144.526, RSMo. Supp. 2008, to apply to its local sales taxes so that there shall be exempted from all retail sales of any energy star certified appliance, up to $1,500 per appliance, during a seven-day period beginning at 12:01 a.m. on April 19, 2009, and ending at midnight on April 25, 2009.

In addition to reducing the consumer’s cost for the purchase of certain qualifying appliances and promoting retail sales activity, the show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday also increases awareness of an investment in energy efficient appliances that can reasonably be expected to reduce energy consumption across the state.

Some of the energy star certified appliances that will be exempt from both state and City sales tax during the week of April 19 through April 25 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.

There is clearly a statewide trend in Missouri with an emphasis on energy efficiency, and now the purchase of energy efficient appliances. Hopefully now that the City has “opted in” the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday, the opportunity to go green will be more of an incentive than ever.

In the mean time, I encourage you to continue recycling, using the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road, and participating in the Electronic Waste events sponsored by the Environmental Services Department.

For more information regarding the City’s Recycling Center or recycling services, please call the Environmental Services Department at 364-6693.

Several Spring events on horizon in Rolla

The relative lull that exists following the blockbuster line-up of community events we have in Rolla over the holidays, is about to change in the next few weeks.

In fact, one month from today on Saturday, March 14 at 11 a.m. you will want to remember to wear your ‘green’ for the annual St. Patrick Day’s parade. Considered one of the largest and well attended St. Pat’s parade in the state, this is truly an iconic Rolla experience that thousands look forward to attending. A list of St. Pat’s events planned that week is available on the City’s Website calendar of events at www.rollacity.org/events.

Looking ahead to softball season, which is also closing in on the calendar in March, the City’s Parks and Recreation Department will be holding a Manager’s Meeting for the Rolla adult softball leagues on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. in Meeting room “B” at The Centre (1200 North Holloway Street).

Managers must attend this rules meeting as changes for the 2009 season will be discussed. This is the only managers meeting scheduled prior to the start of the season. The deadline for team entry is Wednesday, April 8 and the league fees are $395 for a 14-game schedule. Men’s League will begin April 21; Women’s League April 22, and Coed League April 23.

League entry forms can be downloaded from the Parks homepage at www.rollacity.org/parks. For more information, please contact Kristy Bullock at the Rolla Parks and Recreation Department at 341-2386 or via e-mail at parks@rollacity.org.

In the area of beautification and the City’s ongoing efforts to “Go Green,” the City of Rolla Environmental Services Department will hold the annual city-wide “Spring Clean-up” on Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate, please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled.

We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

Also during the month of April, I encourage you to cast your vote during the 2009 Rolla Municipal Election, which will be held Tuesday, April 7. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. The positions open for election this year are six City Council representatives. One Council representative from each of the City’s six wards will be elected to serve a two-year term.

The City Council positions up for election are Terry Ruck (Ward 1), Don Barklage (Ward 2), Gary Hicks (Ward 3), Louis Magdits (Ward 4), Richard Morris (Ward 5), and Mark Walburg (Ward 6). For more information regarding polling locations and ward maps, please visit www.rollacity.org/wards/voter. You may also contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s office at Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street, at (573) 426-6942 or online at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that City Hall will be closed Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of President’s Day. The Rolla City Council meeting, which is ordinarily held the first and third Monday of the month, will be held Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (901 North Elm Street).

The Sanitation Department will be picking up Monday’s trash on Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday. For more information, please visit the City of Rolla Website at www.rollacity.org.

Healthy Yards for Clear Streams Starts March 2

Old Man Winter continues to remind us that we’re still a long way from the promise of Spring, warmer days, and the many outdoor activities that make living in Meramec Valley Region so enjoyable.

And seeing so many residents of all ages out on the hills and slopes at Ber Juan Park and Rolla Junior High School during the recent snow storm makes you realize just how much there is to do in Rolla even during a blizzard. I was particularly glad to see so many folks using the newly opened parking lot next to the east slopes at Ber Juan Park where 14th Street intersects with Farrar Drive. This parking lot, which is graded and conveniently located next to several sledding hills, remains open when weather conditions are conducive to sledding.

Looking ahead to next month, and hopefully a little warmer weather, I’d like to announce an upcoming Spring activity where the City of Rolla Public Works Department is partnering with the Phelps County Master Gardener/Master Naturalist and the Missouri University Extension to bring an environmental education program to the Rolla community.

The Healthy Yards for Clear Streams program is an effort to help landowners and businesses become more environmentally responsible with lawn and landscape practices. The goal is to promote lawn care practices that create beautiful lawns and gardens while reducing unnecessary use of pesticides and fertilizers that may run off and contaminate local streams.

The following workshops are free and will be held at the The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex (1200 North Holloway St., Rolla) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, March 2: Why Connect Yards & Healthy Lawn Care
Monday, March 9: Right Plant, Right Place & Using Native Plants and Rain Gardens
Monday, March 16: Soils & Integrated Pest Management and Effective Use of Garden Chemicals

The program is sponsored by MU Extension through the Master Gardener and Master Naturalist programs with support from the City of Rolla and partial funding from a Missouri Department of Natural Resources Mini Grant.

For more information or to register, please call Phelps County Extension at (573) 458-6260.

City-wide Spring Clean-up
set for April 4

Another upcoming spring activity you will want to put on your calendar is the annual city-wide “Spring Clean-up” scheduled for Saturday, April 4. If you wish to participate, please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled.

We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall will be closing on Monday, Feb. 16 in observance of President’s Day. The regularly scheduled City Council meeting that is held the 2nd Monday of the month will be held the day after President’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Please also remember that due to the holiday, Monday’s trash will be picked up on Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday.

For more information regarding the holiday trash pick-up schedule, please call the Environmental Services Department (formerly the Solid Waste Department), at 364-6693.

Rolla scores again as Host City for Tour of Missouri

Mother nature may have put on the breaks for motorists with the recent snowfall, but it didn’t keep Lt. Governor Peter Kinder from announcing at a Press Conference in Jefferson City that Rolla has been selected as a Host City for the 2009 Tour of Missouri.

Being selected among 10 other cities state-wide, including our neighbor, St. James, who will host a Stage of the prestigious international cycling event from Sept. 7 through Sept. 13, is something worth getting excited about. I’m thrilled at the opportunity for our City to be hosting one of the top five professional cycling races in the world. Please mark your calendar for Sept. 9 when Rolla will be hosting the Stage 3 Finish (beginning in Farmington) and Sept. 10 when St. James will host a Stage 4 Start that will culminate in Jefferson City.

Last year the Tour of Missouri drew more than 435,000 spectators over seven days, and it had an direct and indirect economic impact of almost $30 million to the state. Once more, visitors from 30 states attended various stages of the Tour of Missouri, and individuals from 145 countries viewed the race over the Internet. More than 12,000 individuals attended the Stage 4 Finish last year in Rolla on Sept. 11 and the positive economic impact it had on the Rolla community in terms of local, state and international media coverage, increased hotel bookings, restaurant visits, fuel and other related purchases was significant. Placing Rolla on an international stage with Kansas City, St. Louis, St. Joseph and other prominent cities in the state is also something that elevates the visibility and stature of our City as well. In addition to the impact this event has from a tourism and economic standpoint, it also helps promote health and wellness, fosters a better understanding of different countries and cultures, builds community pride, and strengthens the City’s town and gown relationship with Missouri University of Science and Technology.

You will be hearing more about the details regarding this year’s Tour of Missouri in the weeks and months ahead, but if you’d like to find out more about what’s in store, please visit the official Tour of Missouri Website at www.tourofmissouri.com. My sincere thanks go out to the members of the Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee, chaired again this year by Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, who worked diligently to submit another winning Tour of Missouri bid.

In closing I’d like to also extend my appreciation to all of our dedicated and hard working City employees who during the recent snow and ice storms, kept our roadways and City parking lots/sidewalks clear, continued timely trash collection, patrolled our streets and neighborhoods, and provided the same high level of safety and City services our residents have come to appreciate and expect. Please remember to drive safely and cautiously, and heed weather warnings and conditions on a regular basis.

Environmental Services name change official

The next time you need to order a blue recycling bin or make an appointment to use the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, don’t be surprised when someone answers the phone and says you have reached the City’s Environmental Services Department.

The official name change from the former Solid Waste Department to Environmental Services was finalized during Monday’s City Council meeting. A motion was made, seconded, and unanimously approved, for the rules to be suspended for the need for a second reading of the City Ordinance that officially authorizes the naming of the new department.

While it will probably take awhile for residents to adjust to the new name change, the staff and members of the newly named Environmental Services Department have been going green for so long that it will seem like a natural progression for this department.

The divisions that comprise the Environmental Services Department will still remain as the Sanitation and Recycling Divisions, and there will be no other real changes in this department resulting from the name change. One of the many improvements made by this department, however does include a new outdoor recycling exhibit located at the south end of the Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road.

The exhibit, which is made entirely of recycled materials, includes a large, handicapped accessible picnic table, message board, and composting area. The exhibit is useful not only as an educational tool for students and groups who tour the Recycling Center, but also as an example of the many ways that recycled materials are put to good use.

The next time you are stopping by the Recycling Center, which is open 24/7, and free to anyone interested in recycling, you may want to check the new exhibit out. You may be surprised how durable, attractive and useful recycled items can be. If you are interested in scheduling a tour of the Recycling Center, please call 364-6693 or stop by the Recycling Center anytime Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Environmental education is an important part of what the Environmental Services offers as part of its commitment to serve the Rolla community.

The process of changing the names on the Environmental Services Department’s trucks, vehicles, buildings, signs, etc., will be phased in over several months to minimize the cost associated with the name change. The total cost to implement the new name change is under $1,000.

In closing I’d like to announce another City event that will be held this spring in downtown Rolla. Public Works Celebration Day will be held on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the City’s Downtown Festival Park next to the bandshell and Frisco Caboose.

Hosted by the City’s Public Works Department, it is the official kick-off for Public Works Week May 17 through May 23. The popular and well-attended event includes children's activities, educational displays, large equipment that children can climb on and explore, free hotdogs, sodas and popcorn, and lots of free activities. The entire event is free and open to the public. Be sure to bring your cameras for all the wonderful photo opportunities.

For more information, please call (573) 364-8659.

Crosswalks made for pedestrian safety

Public safety, and especially pedestrian safety is a topic I think we all agree is at the heart of a healthy, prosperous and peaceful community. With thousands of students enrolled in the Rolla Public Schools system, at Missouri University of Science and Technology, numerous other community colleges, and an active downtown business district, Rolla has more than its share of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. For this reason, I would like to emphasize how important it is that motorists yield to pedestrians at crosswalks in town.

Missouri Revised Statutes (Chapter 300, Model Traffic Ordinance, Section 300.375) state that “When traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation the driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way, slowing down or stopping if need be to so yield, to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a crosswalk when the pedestrian is upon the half of the roadway upon which the vehicle is traveling, or when the pedestrian is approaching so closely from the opposite half of the roadway as to be in danger.” Rolla’s Municipal Ordinances (Chapter 27, Section 27-89, Motor Vehicles and Traffic), state that motorists shall proceed cautiously, yielding the right of way to any pedestrian within any crosswalk. Bicycle paths, such as the 9-mile-long ACORN Trail also have pedestrian cross walks and again motorists must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in all cross walks. Local law enforcement officers will be on the look out to arrest offenders.

Some of the most heavily traveled streets by pedestrians in Rolla, but certainly not all, include Pine Street, Kingshighway, Bishop Avenue; 6th through 18th Streets, Forum Drive, Salem Avenue, Soest Road, Pinetree Road, Lanning Lane and Holloway Street. Of course these areas are where the majority of students from the Rolla Public School system, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Metro Business College, Webster College, Rolla Technical Institute, Drury University and other colleges and schools attend classes every day. There also is heavy foot traffic in the downtown business district and along Kingshighway, and Bishop Avenue where numerous restaurants, fueling stations and businesses are located. Whenever you see a marked crosswalk either at an intersection or cross street, or are in a heavily pedestrian traveled area of the City, please use additional caution, be vigilant, and prepared to yield to pedestrians. A safe community, is the best kind of community.

In closing, I would to extend my congratulations to Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, who was honored at the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce Annual banquet on Jan. 10 as the recipient of this year’s Annual Achievement Award. As Chairman of the last year’s Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee, Scott worked tirelessly to ensure that the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Race was one of the highlights of the internationally acclaimed professional cycling event.

I would also like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The City’s Sanitation Department will also be closed on Jan. 19. Monday’s trash will be picked up on Tuesday and Wednesday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday.

Environmental Services name change underway

“Going green” is something the City of Rolla has been emphasizing and focusing on for the past several years. So it shouldn’t come as a big surprise that the formerly named Solid Waste Department is in the preliminary stages of becoming the more aptly named “Environmental Services Department.”

The process to initiate the name change and re-branding of the department, headed up by Environmental Services Director, Brady Wilson, was put into motion at Monday night’s City Council meeting, Jan. 5. During his discussion of the proposed name change to City Council, Brady explained that over the past 10 years the Solid Waste Department has evolved with changing regulations, new technology and the community’s needs and desire for a more green approach to disposing of various materials. If you have ever visited the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road where the Environmental Services Department is based, you may have noticed just how popular and common it is for residents and members of the greater Rolla community to recycle on a regular basis. The abundance of the little blue recycling containers that line the curbs around town are further evidence of the Rolla community’s interest and support of the City going green.

In addition to the curbside pick-ups that we are accustomed to, the Environmental Services Department now offers increased recycling opportunities, electronic waste management, household hazardous materials management, asbestos consultations, environmental education, and most recently, a new outdoor exhibit located at the south end of the Rolla Recycling Center’s parking lot.

The Environmental Services Department’s new name and brand will reflect more accurately the comprehensive “green” approach the department and the community has taken to improve Rolla’s environmental footprint. It will also portray a more positive image of the department’s activities. A City ordinance to officially rename the department in all Rolla City Code references will be brought before the City Council at the Jan. 20 and Feb. 2 City Council meetings at City Hall.

The process of changing the names on the Environmental Services Department’s trucks, vehicles, buildings, signs, etc., will be phased in over several months to minimize the cost associated with the name change. Existing stocks of letterhead, business cards, business envelopes, etc. will be used up before the new Environmental Services Department name is used on these items as well. The total cost to implement the new name change is under $1,000.

In closing, I am including a list of important dates in 2009 for the Environmental Services Department that you can refer to throughout the year. This list is also posted on the Environmental Services Department’s homepage at www.rollacity.org/waste.

2009 Environmental Services
“List of Important Dates”
Jan. 19, 2009 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Feb. 16, 2009 – President’s Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
April 4, 2009 – Citywide Spring Clean Up: Saturday – Citywide clean up day (residential only).
May 25, 2009 – Memorial Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
July 4, 2009 – Independence Day: Friday’s trash will be picked up Thursday; Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.
Sept. 7, 2009 – Labor Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Oct. 3, 2009 – Citywide Fall Clean Up: Saturday – Citywide clean up day (residential only)
Nov. 11, 2009 – Veterans Day: No special pick-ups on Wednesday
Nov. 26, 2009 – Thanksgiving Day: Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday
Dec. 25, 2009 – Christmas Day: Friday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday; Thursday’s trash will be picked up on Wednesday
For more information, please contact the City’s Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

Police Chief Chat - Mark Reynolds / Kent King / Missing child

Police Chief Chat

Good morning! I hope you had a great week. My week was not so great. On Sunday I learned that my friend and fellow law enforcement officer Sgt. Mark Reynolds had passed away. Mark was a 17 year veteran of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and was very well known and respected here at the Rolla Police Department. Mark was always there to lend a hand whether it be in the wee hours of the morning assisting officers on a traffic stop, backing the patrol division on dangerous calls or just stopping by to see how things were going. Mark was a true professional and was a proud and dedicated law enforcement officer. We will miss him!

I also learned this week that Dr. Kent King had passed after a lengthy battle with cancer. Dr. King was the Commissioner of Education at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and also served as the Superintendent of Rolla Public Schools for 19 years. Dr. King devoted his entire career to the education of our youth and is remembered by all as a very kind and caring man. Dr. King was gracious enough to take time out of his busy schedule to accept the offer to be our guest speaker at our last D.A.R.E. graduation and it was quite a thrill for not only the students and faculty but also the guests of honor and parents to have him address the graduating class. Dr. King’s passing hits very close to home in that his daughter Traci is married to our own Lt. Doug James. Dr. King will be truly missed!

This week Telecommunications Supervisor Stayce Smith conducted a 40 hour Basic Communications Training session here at the Police Department for area telecommunicators. The course offered basic radio techniques and procedures, basic operational skill training in incoming calls for assistance, 9-1-1 calls, operator and criminal history inquiries and other police related inquiries. The class was attended by members of our communications division and members of the Missouri S&T Police Dept.

This week Dennis Noel our volunteers in Police Service Coordinator Is starting his presentations to civic groups on recruiting volunteers. He conducted his first presentation to the Optimist Club on Wednesday and will be continuing with other civic groups over the next several months. VIPs is a national program to get volunteers to work with the police department in assisting the department in duties that we just don’t have the time or manpower to do. If you want to make a difference and serve your community we can use your help in many areas. I believe that VIPS is a very important program to get the Police department and the citizens to join together in taking care of this community, we can not do it alone. The duties consist of making phone calls, answering phones, patrolling, following up on minor crimes and the list goes on. A person wanting to become a VIPS can contact Dennis Noel at 364-1213 to get more information, so join us and make a difference. In the near future Dennis will be going door to door contacting business’s just to say hi and to get to know what’s going on in the community, so that we can keep up with changes in the area. So please welcome him in your door so we can get to know each other.

I wanted to share just one of our many calls we go on and to thank those employees involved for an outstand job. (Thanks Sgt. Rapier, Telecommunicator Jamie Jones , Pto. LeAnn Robertson, Rolla City Fire, Phelps Ambulance, MSHP, S & T PD, Lt. Smith and the detectives!)The department had a call of a missing six year old from his back yard late one evening. Cpl. Adam Myer quickly organized who was doing what, got extra personnel there and made what turned out to be a valuable contact, in the neighbor who’s back yard is shared with the missing six year olds yard. Considering the bitter cold and fast approaching nightfall, time was obviously of the essence.

While officers were responding and searching communicator Trina Duarte searched for registered sex offenders in that area. She came up with an address for an offender that was in the very close proximity to where the neighbor told Cpl. Myer that he had seen Alex headed. After getting out of a field he was searching Cpl. Myer quickly responded to that address only to find it was no longer the residence of the offender….but coming down the stairs inside the house was a little boy….you guessed it….the missing child! He was visiting his friend that lived there…If you can believe that stroke of coincidence.

This was a great example of the resourcefulness on the part of everyone involved, they worked as a team and 30 minutes later Alex was thankfully returned to his mother safe and sound.

Great job everyone!

Chief Mark A. Kearse

City Talk - Looking back on 2008 as winning year for Rolla

As we turn the corner on 2008, and begin to consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, I would like to wish all of you a safe, memorable and prosperous New Year.

Unemployment figures and the overall state of the national economy aside, Rolla has finished 2008 in much better condition than many communities throughout Missouri and the nation. More importantly, though, we as a community continue to grow and prosper in some very visible areas throughout the city. The most dramatic changes are seen along Martin Springs Drive in the Blues Lake area where the new three-story 105,000-square-foot St. John’s Clinic is being constructed, along with other new businesses and the construction of St. John’s Parkway that is further solidifying Rolla’s stature as a major medical and health care provider for South Central Missouri. The dramatic development and growth of this area, which is benefiting from the construction of the new Southwest Treatment Plant located a few miles west on Martin Springs Drive Outer Road, should serve as a catalyst to attract other businesses such as retailers, restaurants and the like.

The dramatic transformation of the intersection at Ridgeview Road and State Road 63 and Highway 72 is another example of the growth and prosperity we have seen in 2008. The renovation and enhancement of several buildings on the east side of State Road 63 North, including the greatly expanded Kia dealership with I-44 frontage, has provided yet another magnet to attract motorists along I-44. Add to these very visible developments the positive headway that is being made on the Rolla West Master Plan, the new Innovation Tech. Park on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus, continued improvements to the City’s 100-miles of streets and roads, and a total upgrade of the City’s stormwater and wastewater systems, and 2008 in retrospect was a winning year for Rolla.

When I begin thinking about 2008 as a winning year, it would be difficult not to reflect on the City’s successful début as a host city for the international cycling event, the Tour of Missouri, on September 11, 2008. For a city of our size to successfully host the Stage 4 Start of one of the premiere professional cycling events in the country, was truly a winning event on numerous fronts. The Rolla community benefited not only from a marketing and promotion perspective by achieving state, national and international recognition, but also from an economic perspective as thousands of tourism-related dollars were generated in hotel/motel bookings, restaurant sales, and untold grocery, fuel and retail sales. The Tour of Missouri helped to put Rolla and St. James, which hosted the Stage 5 finish on Sept. 12, on the global map. We are hopeful that with the recent bid application submitted to Medalist Sports by the Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee chaired by Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, that Rolla will be selected again as a host city for either a stage finish or stage start.

And while it is too soon to predict just how much of an impact the global financial markets, the downturn in the housing market, and other leading economic indicators have had on Rolla, the City’s revenues from sales tax are up 2.27% after the first quarter of FY 09 (last 3 months of 2008). The City experienced a 1.8 % drop in sales tax overall in fiscal year 2008. The City’s Fiscal Advisory Committee, which met over a 6-month period in 2008, addressed several fiscal policy recommendations that were adopted by the City Council to help meet the financial challenges facing the City in the months and year’s to come.

Many positive opportunities and developments are on the horizon for our City of 18,000-plus, and the regional center of South Central Missouri, so let’s keep the momentum going into 2009.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that City Hall will also be closed Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The regular Rolla City Council Meeting scheduled for the third Monday of the month will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street). Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

Wishing you again a safe and prosperous New Year!

Mayor Bill Jenks, III

City Talk - Shopping local message echoed by many in area

On behalf of the Rolla City Council and Rolla City employees, I hope you had a memorable Christmas, and will be blessed by the peace and serenity that manifests itself during the holidays.

Throughout the last several months several members of the community, including well-known merchants, business owners and community leaders have been repeating the “Shop Local” mantra that is being heard daily on the national news, and communities and cities all across America. If the busy parking lots in shopping centers, strip malls and throughout town are any indication of the success of this often repeated message, it may very well be that many of us have once again done a significant portion of our holiday shopping here in Rolla and Phelps County. The convenience and ease of staying in town makes it all the more appealing when it’s 5 degrees below zero, and it’s difficult to tell when the next ice or snow storm is going to make its impact on our roads and highways. The Rolla and Phelps County area have much to offer, and I’d like to continue encouraging everyone to patronize first the merchants, businesses, restaurants and hotels in our area. I’d also like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all the individuals and groups who have so vigorously spread the “Shop Local” tag line. It seems to be working!

If you happen to be visiting the Rolla area this weekend, and have been away for the last several months you have probably notice that the intersection of Highway 72 and State Route 63 at Ridgeview Road looks a little different than it did this time last year. While some of the establishments located at Bishop Commons on the corner of Bishop Avenue (State Road 63) have been open for a couple of months, the new flagship Walgreens store adjacent to Bishop Commons at Ridgeview Road and State Road 63 is nearing completion. These additions to this strategic and highly traveled intersection have been a long time in coming, but demonstrate the retail strength and vitality of our community.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that Rolla City Hall, located at 901 N. Elm Street, will be closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1. The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday. For more information regarding the City of Rolla holiday trash pick-up schedule, please call 364-6693.

The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex, located at 1200 North Holloway Street, will be open on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday. Regular operating hours at The Centre resume on Friday, Jan. 2. The week of Jan. 4 through Jan. 9 is “Free Class Preview Week” at The Centre, which means all group fitness classes are free for anyone interested in participating. For more information, please call The Centre at 341-2FUN (2386).

Another important communication tool the City of Rolla is making available to the residents of our community is a BLOG that is linked on the City’s homepage at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. The City is now posting my weekly City Talk column and Police Chief Mark Kearse’s City Chat column on the City’s BLOG at http://rollacity.blogspot.com. We welcome your comments, input and feedback.

Wishing you and your families, friends and neighbors a happy and prosperous New Year!

Rolla Channel 6 captures holiday happenings in Rolla

Without trying to sound too much like a cliché, I think you’ll agree that it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Rolla, Missouri. My sincere thanks goes out to all of the Rolla businesses and agencies such as Fidelity Cablevision, Rolla Municipal Utilities (RMU), and the City of Rolla’s Public Works Department who light up our downtown area and help us get into the spirit of the holidays.

Fidelity puts up all the lighted stars along Hwy. 72 and Hwy. 63 South, RMU puts them up along 10th Street and the downtown business district, and the City’s Public Works Department puts up the stars along Hwy. 63 North from Blockbuster Video to Interstate 44. The Public Works Department and Traffic Division also creates and displays all the holiday banners in the downtown business district, puts up wreaths and lights at City Hall (901 North Elm Street), and of course, displays and decorates the 20-foot-tall Christmas Tree in the City’s Downtown Festival Park.

Many events held last weekend helped kick off the holidays, and if you didn’t have a chance to attend the Rolla Christmas Parade hosted by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce last Saturday in downtown Rolla or the Christmas Band Concert (8th-12th grades) at Rolla High School last Thursday, you can see these events in their entirety on Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) throughout the holidays.

Both of these events, which were produced by Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager and his two video production assistants, Kile Crews and Daniel Galarza, who attend Rolla Junior High School, are examples of the many community events and educational programs that are being produced and aired on Rolla Channel 6. If you would like to receive a DVD copy of either of these events, RHS sporting events, Rolla City Council, Planning and Zoning and RPS board meetings, you can order them through Rolla Channel 6. To place your order, simply call Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at (573) 426-3377. You may also place your order in person anytime Monday through Friday during normal business hours at the Rolla Channel 6 offices located at Fidelity Cablevision at 1304 Highway 72 East.

In addition to the above mentioned events, RC6 will also be airing other holiday happenings in the days to come, including a holiday greeting from the City of Rolla and Rolla Public Schools. Public service announcements showcasing The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot Health and Recreation Complex and the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road, and the first episode of “City Minutes” will also be airing on RC6 throughout the holidays. So be sure to tune into RC6 – Rolla’s premiere Education, Government and Community channel.

RC6 is a jointly funded education and government cable channel provided by the City of Rolla, Rolla Public Schools, and Fidelity Cablevision. The mission of RC6 is to enhance the City of Rolla’s and Rolla Public Schools’ public information and communication systems, involve the community in local government and Rolla Public School decision-making, and provide useful information to the public.

City Talk - Holiday season kicks off with Rolla Christmas parade

If you haven’t made plans yet for this morning, be sure to put the Rolla Christmas Parade on your schedule for 10 a.m., (Saturday, Dec. 6) on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. In many ways it seems that after the Thanksgiving Day holiday, the Rolla Christmas Parade officially kicks off the holidays for many residents in the Rolla community.

Coordinated by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rolla Christmas Parade is in its 38th year, and promises to be one of the best parades ever. If you want to watch the parade again after seeing it live on Pine Street be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6), which will be filming the parade in its entirety.

After the parade you will also want to attend the 14th Annual Christmas at the Historic Old Courthouse located at Third and Rolla Streets across from the Dillon Log Cabin. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with historic tours of the 1860 Courthouse and 1838 Dillon Log Cabin Museum, Christmas gifts, and live entertainment in the Municipal Court Room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse. Families are also encouraged to visit and have your pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and visit the Kid’s Corner to make paper ornaments. Free holiday refreshments will also be available for everyone to enjoy.

The entertainment begins at 11:30 a.m. with “Sometimes Tuesday” Mountain Dulcimer Group followed by the Mark Twain 4th Grade Steamboat Choir at 12-noon and Rolla Community Children’s Choir at 12:30 p.m., Rolla Jr. High Choir at 1 p.m. and Rolla Sr. High Choir at 1:30 p.m. There will also be an antique clothing display and historic military display open to the public in the Old Courthouse.

While you are at the parade stop by the Bandshell in the City’s Downtown Festival Park off 9th Street where members of the City’s Public Works Department recently set up and decorated a 20-foot-tall Christmas Tree. Rolla City Hall is also decorated with lights, wreaths and a large Christmas tree in the lobby, all thanks to our Public Works and Administration Departments. The Frisco Caboose will be decorated and lighted for the holidays as well, which is only fitting when you consider that our town’s history and development was due in large part to the railroad.

Beginning next Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. through Dec. 21 be sure to attend the Christmas in the Park dazzling light display in Lions Club Park located on Hwy. 63 South across from G & D Steakhouse. The event is free, but donations are welcomed. Christmas in the Park will be open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday. For more information regarding this fun event, please call Rolla Lioness Club member Jaci Huebner at 578-9090.

There are of course numerous other holiday events, festivities and gatherings planned throughout the month of December, but I thought I would just hit some of the highlights you don’t want to miss. For a comprehensive listing of events and happenings, please visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/events, and tune into the community calendar on Rolla Channel 6.

City Talk - City unanimously supports Tour of Missouri bid in 2009

It seems like just yesterday that 120 of the most talented professional cyclists in the world, who competed in the 2008 Tour of Missouri, crossed the finish line on 10th Street in front of the Castelman Hall Performing Arts Center.

Being part of the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Finish on Sept. 11, 2008 in Rolla was not only an exhilarating experience, but also a major milestone for a City of our size in South Central Missouri. The partnerships that were forged before, during and after the international event with Missouri University of Science and Technology, the City of St. James, Medalist Sports, KOM, and the event’s area sponsors such as Brewer Science, Inc., Phelps County Bank, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, to name just a few, demonstrated how collaboration and teamwork is essential when hosting an event of this magnitude.

Many Rolla residents who attended the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James on Sept. 12 may be curious to know just how much of an impact the TOM had on the City of Rolla, and fortunately I have been provided with those statistics and figures from Scott Caron, Director of the Recreation Center and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the Tour of Missouri.

Scott recently made a presentation to the Rolla City Council during our last Council meeting that outlines the many benefits and rewards the City received by participating and hosting Stage 4 of the event.

The international exposure and recognition Rolla received on television networks, Websites and newspapers from over 80 countries was staggering. In addition, numerous state-wide television and radio coverage, magazines, and newspapers, including great coverage by the Rolla Daily News, helped put Rolla on the map in a way that has not been done very often in the history of our city. Rolla’s sales tax and motel sales tax both had significant spikes during the month of September when more than 12,000 individuals came out to watch and show their support for the Stage 4 Finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James. Most of the motels and hotels in Rolla were booked to capacity on Sept. 11 and many of the area restaurants reported record sales the day and evening the Tour of Missouri was held in Rolla. Other positive benefits the Rolla community receive from the Tour of Missouri include an increased awareness of the importance of health and wellness, a better understanding of the various countries represented in the race, and the overall community pride that comes from the team work and collaboration generated through an event of this stature and size.

My wholehearted support continues to be behind the members of Rolla’s Local Organizing Committee as they once again submit an application bid to be considered as a host city for next year’s Tour of Missouri scheduled for Sept. 7 through Sept. 13, 2009.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving weekend. Our next City Council meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (located at 901 North Elm Street). If you can’t attend the meeting, be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) at 6:30 p.m. The Council meeting will be broadcast live and rebroadcasted throughout the week.

City Talk - Growing the economy top priority for City Council

Among the many topics discussed at the 8-hour-long City Council retreat Nov. 13 at City Hall were the financial challenges facing not only the country, but the Rolla community in the months and years ahead.

The City’s 2009 complete budget document can be viewed on the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/admin.budget.shtm. A hard copy of the budget document is also available at City Hall located at 901 North Elm Street.

To help eliminate some of the misconceptions that sometimes arise regarding the 7.6% sales tax in Rolla, I thought it would be helpful to explain how the City’s sales tax is distributed among the various taxing jurisdictions.

Many individuals think all of Rolla’s 7.6 cent sales tax is received by the City of Rolla, but in reality the City receives 2.5 cents. Of the 2.5 cents received 1 cent goes to the City’s General Fund (about $9.5 million for seven of the City’s departments); 1/2 cent is ear-marked for transportation (street improvements); 1/2 cent for capitol Improvements (city infrastructure), and 1/2 cent for parks and recreation. The remaining 5.1 cents is allocated this way: the State of Missouri receives 4.225 cents, and Phelps County receives .875 cents. The average overall sales tax for Missouri cities comparable to Rolla is 7-8%, with several cities with sales tax rates approaching 9%.

The City’s Solid Waste Department, which includes the Recycling Center and Sanitation (waste collection), and the Sewer Department are considered enterprise funds, which are self-sufficient departments that generate revenues through user fees. The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot Health and Recreation complex, is funded by membership, user and program fees, and a 1/2 cent sales tax passed by voters in 1998. The tax funding The Centre sunsets in 2013. The Street fund is also maintained in its own fund to track program expenses and the transportation sales tax and capital improvement sales tax, along with the motor fuel (gas) tax.

Another question many residents may have regarding the City budget is how we plan to generate more revenue or sustain the revenues we have to meet the ongoing expenses generated through inflation and increased city services/manpower (i.e., public safety and public works).

There are many options available to address this dilemma, including cutting services, raising taxes and growing the economy. The strategy the City continues to pursue is to grow the economy so that new businesses, industry and economic development generate employment opportunities and thus fuel the economy in a way that benefits everyone. The tactics that the City employs to grow the economy are to encourage businesses, developers and real estate owners to invest and relocate to the Rolla/Phelps County area. The City regularly partners and works collaboratively with organizations, businesses and institutions such as the Rolla Regional Economic Commission (RREC), Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, Meramec Regional Planning Commission, Rolla Community Development Corporation, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Phelps County, Rolla Public Schools, area health care providers, and many others to achieve this end.

The most recent and visible example of how the City has worked to grow the economy is the new Walgreens store being constructed at the intersection of State Hwy. 63 and Ridgeview Road. This multi-faceted, multi-phase project dramatically improved not only the appearance of this highly visible and key intersection, but also greatly enhanced the safety, slope and access along Ridgeview Road.

The City is also partnering with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) on other transportation projects such as the proposed Ridgeview Road extension to Bridge School Road, a new traffic light and entrance at the corner of Kingshighway and Fairgrounds road that will ease traffic congestion on Kingshigway and provide a entrance to the new Innovation Tech Park being developed by Missouri S&T.

By continually sending out the message that Rolla is a progressive City where the quality of life is high, the education is top-notch and cutting-edge technology, research and high-tech industry is abundant, we also seek to initiate developer-driven projects such as Rolla West. The recently completed master plan for Rolla West by HNTB is the type of tool the City and Rolla Regional Economic Commission can use to attract new businesses and industry that will help diversify and strengthen our City’s retail offerings, provide more jobs, generate more sales tax, and ultimately grow our economy. The development of Rolla West will help enhance and solidify the City’s stature as the regional hub for South Central Missouri.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving. In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, City Hall will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28. The Centre (1200 North Holloway, Street), will also be closed Thanksgiving Day, and will be open the day after Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, please call (573) 341-2386.

The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday. For more information regarding trash pick-up, yard waste, recycling or the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call (573) 364-6693.

City Talk - Bourbon H.S. Ecology class tours Recycling Center

As part of a day-long field trip that included stops at the City of Rolla’s Southwest Treatment Plant, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a group of 23 Ecology students from Bourbon High School recently toured the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road.

The tour of the Recycling Center on Nov. 6 was hosted by Solid Waste Director Brady Wilson, who did a lot more than talk about trash to the group of juniors and seniors who attend Jon Johnson’s Ecology class at Bourbon High School in Bourbon, Missouri.

Wilson’s main message to the students was that “just about anything we use and consume at home, at work and around town can be recycled.” The students were surrounded by mountains of recycled paper and cardboard as Wilson emphasized how important recycling is, not only from an environmental and ecological perspective, but also an economic one.

Hylan Beydler, Public Information Coordinator with the DNR, Division of Geology and Land Survey in Rolla, said that touring the Rolla Recycling Center helps to broaden the student’s awareness of their career opportunities in Geology and Ecology, and increases their awareness of the impact that recycling has on their environment. Beydler, who coordinated the day-long field trip and environmental education outreach with Jim Lubbers from the DNR in Jefferson City, said the field trip was funded entirely from the State’s Scrap Tire fee, which is coordinated by DNR.

Wilson, who is passionate about recycling, the environment, and educating the public about the positive impact recycling and the Rolla Recycling Center has on our community, conducts student and civic tours of the Recycling Center on a regular basis.

The next big project Brady will be showcasing at the Recycling Center is a new recycled materials exhibit that will demonstrate the use of recycled products and includes a handicapped picnic table and message board totally constructed from recycled materials. The exhibit will also include a composting demonstration display.

To schedule a tour of the facility, or for more information about the Recycling Center and new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693. To schedule a tour of the DNR offices in Rolla, please call Hylan Beydler at (573) 368-2100.

Police Chief Chat - Veteran's Day / Friday Backpack Program

Good morning, I hope you had a great week and were able to attend at least one of the many Veteran’s Day programs held in an around Rolla in honor of those who have preserved our freedom by serving our country. The Rolla Junior High School, Mark Twain Elementary and Hickory Pit Barbecue all offered programs, luncheons and services to show appreciation for the sacrifices these great men and women endured in the name of freedom and support of our constitution.

We have several service related organizations in our area that offer support to our veterans in the way of social gatherings, fundraising events and memorial tributes and benefit information. These organizations such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, Disabled Association of Veterans and AMVETS provide a wide variety of services to benefit local heroes such as Bill Jenks, Dick Elgin, Bosco Eudaly, Neal Grannemann, Ed Schmidt, Les Burris, Bill Feeler, Michael Flowers, Neal Jocsing, Al Parsons, Jim Greig, Eddie Schwartz, Luke Kearse, John Mittendorf, Butch Fiebelman, Tom Pasley, Jim Fiscus, Bill Stoltz, Stan Spadoni, Ed Lorey, Forrest O’neal, Bill Wright and Fred Kruger. These and many others from our own community stood proud, pledged allegiance and did what they had to do to keep the rest of us safe in conflicts ranging from World War II, the Korean War, Viet Nam War and the War in Iraq! Thank you to all veterans past and present for what you have done and for what you are about to do to keep us safe!

Lieutenant Jason Smith and I had the opportunity to attend the International Police Chiefs Association annual conference held in San Diego, California this past week. The conference is designed to present Police Chief’s from all over the world with the latest in equipment demonstrations, tactics, management styles and philosophies to better serve their agencies. There are also break-out sessions featuring nationally recognized guest speakers who cover preventive measures in turnover rates, public opinion analysis and community policing advantages. . Other management sessions were presented from the nation’s top cops on how to win in situations that require use of force. The training began on Saturday, November 8 and ran through Wednesday November 12, 2008.

I learned from our own Behind the Badge organization that the local founder of the Friday Backpack Program, Faith Barnes with the assistance of the Christian Life Center has secured a $19,000.00 donation to assist in funding the backpack program. The program provides food items to children in need on Friday after school to ascertain that they will be nourished over the weekend to stimulate better study habits. Our Behind the Badge group assists Faith and others in filling the backpacks each week. The program now includes all 3 of the Rolla elementary schools and the Newburg elementary school and serves over 200 students. Way to go Faith and the CLC. Great job! And a special thanks to the donors. This is just one more example of how this community comes together in times of need.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Patrol Officer Josh Campbell and K-9 Ziggy for successfully completing 2 weeks of certification training in tracking, narcotic detection building and article searches and handler protection with the Dogwood Inn and Training Center in Jeffersonville, In. Officer Campbella and Ziggy trained side by side for during the 80 hour certification. Ziggy was partnered with Pto. Campbell after serving Senior Patrol Officer Adam Meyer. Great job Josh and Ziggy!

I hope you have a great week!

City Connection - Shopping local is a wise investment

City Connection (A monthly update from the City of Rolla to the Business Community)

Shopping local is wise investment
By Mayor Bill Jenks, III
I’m sure that all of you have given some thought as to how important in today’s economic climate it is that we consider the benefits of patronizing our local businesses, restaurants and retail establishments in the weeks and months ahead.
Regardless of how the presidential election, and local and state elections turned out, we as citizens, must remember that we can do our part to ensure that our community continues to prosper and grow in the months and years to come. One of the easiest ways to do this, as simple as it may sound, is to remember to do as much of your day to day and holiday shopping right here in Rolla and Phelps County.
So please consider the real and significant benefits shopping local will bring not only to you, but our area businesses, retail outlets, restaurants, grocery stores and banking institutions. Fuel prices are fortunately back below the $2 mark, and will hopefully stay that way throughout the holiday season, but the recent reduction in the cost of fuel doesn’t offset the need for all of us to continue to support and patronize our local shops and stores.
And when you decide to purchase locally, you are not only helping to sustain and grow business in the area, but you are also fueling our economy from both an investment and employment perspective. We have much to be grateful for as we approach the holidays, and one of the best ways to demonstrate our gratitude is to reinvest in our community.

Rolla, British Columbia meets Rolla, Missouri
With a population of 200 people, the Canadian town of Rolla, British Columbia is located about 12 miles from the frontier town of Dawson Creek – better known as Mile Zero on the 2,288-mile-long Alaska Highway.

The elevation is about 2,100 feet (1,000 more than in Rolla, Missouri), and its location 80 miles east of the Rocky Mountains and seven miles from the Alberta, Canada boarder, make it an ideal location for grain farming, and many decades ago, homesteading. Over 98 percent of the town’s industry consists of farming, and the climate is milder than you might imagine for a Canadian Province where 40-below zero is not unheard of.

This is the picture painted of Rolla, British Columbia by Gordon Miller during a visit he and three other Miller family siblings and their spouses, and the spouse of a deceased sister, made to Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street), in Rolla, Missouri on Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. Gordon, a third-generation Miller, and his wife, Brenda Miller, who both reside in Rolla, British Columbia, are retracing their roots in Rolla, Missouri where Gordon’s ancestors once lived over 100 years ago.

The 9-member contingency from British Columbia are visiting family cemeteries and the old Miller Homestead located in Camp Creek in Phelps County. Historic records indicate that the Millers were an early pioneer family in Phelps County, and that one of the Millers once served as a county judge.

While visiting Rolla City Hall Gordon was presented with a large Rolla Welcome banner from City Administrator John Butz, who coordinated the visit through Rolla resident Russ Lindenlaub. Gordon said he plans to display the welcome banner in the Rolla, British Columbia community center.

“It’s always a pleasure whenever we have the opportunity to visit at City Hall with such friendly folks like these whose ancestry traces to Rolla, Missouri,” said Butz. “It always amazes me how many connections people from all over the country, including the Canadian Provence of British Columbia, have with Rolla’s history and heritage.”

Bourbon High School Ecology students tour Rolla Recycling Center
As part of a day-long field trip that included stops at the City of Rolla’s Southwest Treatment Plant, and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a group of 23 Ecology students from Bourbon High School recently toured the Rolla Recycling Center located at 2141 Old St. James Road.

The tour of the Recycling Center on Thursday, Nov. 6 was hosted by Solid Waste Director Brady Wilson, who did a lot more than ‘talk trash’ to the group of juniors and seniors who attend Jon Johnson’s Ecology class at Bourbon High School in Bourbon, Missouri.

Wilson’s main message to the students was that “just about anything we use and consume at home, at work and around town can be recycled.” The students were surrounded by mountains of recycled paper and cardboard as Wilson emphasized how important recycling is, not only from an environmental and ecological perspective, but also an economic one.

“Touring the Rolla Recycling Center helps to broaden the student’s awareness of their career opportunities in Geology and Ecology, and increases their awareness of the impact that recycling has on their environment,” said Hylan Beydler, Public Information Coordinator with the DNR, Division of Geology and Land Survey in Rolla. Beydler, who coordinated the day-long field trip and environmental education outreach with Jim Lubbers from the DNR in Jefferson City, said the field trip was funded entirely from the State’s Scrap Tire fee, which is coordinated by DNR.

Wilson, who is passionate about recycling, the environment, and educating the public about the positive impact recycling and the Rolla Recycling Center has on our community, conducts student and civic tours of the Recycling Center on a regular basis. To schedule a tour of the facility, or for more information about the Recycling Center and new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693.

To schedule a tour of the DNR offices in Rolla, please call Hylan Beydler at (573) 368-2100.

Buckle up to avoid ticket And arrive alive
Nearly one in four Missourians still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle.
Among those least likely to buckle up are young males, pickup truck drivers and their passengers, people who live in rural areas, and night time drivers.
The Rolla Police Department recently announced it is joining with law enforcement agencies across the state on Nov. 26 for an aggressive “Click It or Ticket” mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s safety belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities.
Failure to regularly wear a safety belt can be deadly. In 2007, a driver in a Missouri traffic crash has a 1 in 32 chance of being killed if they were not wearing a seat belt. In cases where the driver wore a seat belt, their chance of being killed was 1 in 1,309.
“Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities and injuries in motor vehicle crashes”, said Corporal Harry Eckman, Rolla Police Traffic Division Supervisor.
For more information on Missouri seat belt usage, please visit www.saveMOlives.com or contact Corporal Harry Eckman at (573) 364-1213.

City offers choices for pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13
For Rolla residents who are deciding how to dispose of their leaves during the fall season, the city offers a couple of alternatives to help make your leaf disposal efforts a little more convenient.

The City of Rolla’s Solid Waste Department will continue to offer pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13, 2008. To receive this service, the leaves must be placed in brown paper biodegradable yard waste bags, which can be purchased at many stores in the area. We also ask that you place your bags to the curb by 6 a.m. so our equipment operators can pick them up on your normal collection day.

This service will be suspended from Dec. 13, 2008 through March 1, 2009. Collection of yard waste (leaves, grass, clippings and small sticks) in brown paper bags will resume on Monday, March 2, 2009. Residents wishing to dispose of these materials during the winter suspension can use the composting facility located at the Phelps County Transfer Station, or arrange for a special pick up for a fee. For more information please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693.

Rolla residents can also get their leaves picked up by the Parks and Recreation Department Monday through Friday for a nominal fee through Dec. 15, 2008 (leaves will not be picked up after noon Friday or during weekends and holidays). We just ask that you rake or haul all leaves to the 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.

New users of this service must pay a $120 refundable deposit or leave a credit card number. The fee is $40 per half hour with the minimum charge of $40, and all fees must be paid within two weeks of the service being completed. Credit card payments (Visa, Master Card & Discover) are preferred. If you wish to use this service, or to get more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (573) 364-4278.

Residents encouraged to use Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Rolla residents who have household hazardous waste materials such as car batteries, used oil or antifreeze, or other toxic, poisonous or flammable products may dispose of them at the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility. The facility is operated by the City’s Solid Waste Department at the Rolla Recycling Center located off Old St. James Road.

Use of the facility is encouraged by all Rolla residents, however, this is strictly a residential service; business and commercial waste is prohibited. If you are interested in using the facility, we simply ask that you make an appointment by calling the Rolla Recycling Center during normal business hours at (573) 364-6693. Deliveries will be accepted by appointment only. For a complete list of items that will be acceptable to drop off at the facility, please contact the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.

The new Household Hazardous Waste facility is open to residents in the Rolla/Phelps County community as well as the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, and Washington counties). There is also a new HHW facility located in the City of St. Robert in Pulaski County.

This service will be more convenient, accessible, and safer for the public and employees alike, and reflects the City of Rolla’s commitment of “going green.”

Rolla Channel 6 airs City Council & Rolla Public Schools board meetings
Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) is airing live Rolla City Council meetings the first and third Monday of the month (6:30 p.m.), as well as several times throughout the week. City Planning & Zoning (P&Z) Commission meetings are also airing live on RC6 the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

Rolla Public Schools (RPS) board meetings also air live on RC6, and will re-air throughout the week as well. Rolla High School Friday night football games air the Sunday following the game at 6 p.m. RC6 will re-air the games frequently throughout the following week or weeks depending on the home schedule. The schedule for all programs will be posted on the RC6 program guide.

Other pre-produced programs currently airing on RC6 include: Missouri Outdoors, After the Storm, Army Newswatch, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services (CSREES) Partners Video Magazine, NASA Science Files, World Energy Television, PlaySports TV, Perils for Pedestrians, Road to Recovery and Friends in Discovery.

For more information regarding programming or DVD duplication of Rolla City Council and Rolla Public Schools board meetings, and RHS sporting events, please contact Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at (573) 426-3377 or at Gabe.Mankin@fidelitycommunications.com.

RC6 is a jointly funded education and government cable channel provided by the City of Rolla, Rolla Public Schools, and Fidelity Cablevision. The mission of RC6 is to enhance the City of Rolla’s and Rolla Public Schools’ public information and communication systems, involve the community in local government and Rolla Public School decision-making, and provide useful information to the public.

Full-color 2008 Aerial photos of Rolla available at City Hall
The 2008 full-color aerial photo of the City of Rolla is available for purchase at the GIS/Mapping Office located in the Public Works Department at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street) in downtown Rolla.

The aerial was flown in January 2008 and is available on 42- x 52-inch photo quality gloss paper. The price is $20 per print. A limited supply of the 2007 black and white aerial photos are also available for a cost of $5.

For more information, or to place your order for an aerial photo of Rolla, please call (573) 364-8659, ext. 033, or stop by City Hall anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

City Talk - Shopping local is wise investment

I’m sure that all of you have given some thought as to how important in today’s economic climate it is that we consider the benefits of patronizing our local businesses, restaurants and retail establishments in the weeks and months ahead.

Regardless of how the presidential election, and local and state elections turned out, we as citizens, must remember that we can do our part to ensure that our community continues to prosper and grow in the months and years to come. One of the easiest ways to do this, as simple as it may sound, is to remember to do as much of your day to day and holiday shopping right here in Rolla and Phelps County. So please consider the real and significant benefits shopping local will bring not only to you, but our area businesses, retail outlets, restaurants, grocery stores and banking institutions. Fuel prices are fortunately back below the $2 mark, and will hopefully stay that way throughout the holiday season, but the recent reduction in the cost of fuel doesn’t offset the need for all of us to continue to support and patronize our local shops and stores.

And when you decide to purchase locally, you are not only helping to sustain and grow business in the area, but you are also fueling our economy from both an investment and employment perspective. We have much to be grateful for as we approach the holidays, and one of the best ways to demonstrate our gratitude is to reinvest in our community.

In closing I would like to remind residents that Rolla City Hall, located at 901 North Elm Street, will be closed Tuesday, Nov. 11 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday. The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Tuesday’s trash on Wednesday. The CENTRE, Rolla’s Health and Recreation complex, located at 1200 North Holloway Street, will maintain regular operating hours on Veterans Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

This Veterans Day the Rolla City Council and Rolla City employees express their gratitude and appreciation for all veterans, both home and abroad, who are serving or have served to protect our freedoms. Please remember to keep our veterans in your thoughts, and let them know how much they are appreciated.

City Talk - City offers choices for pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13

Along with all the beauty that comes with autumn in the Ozarks – and we sure are getting our share of it this year - lots of leaves also come with the fall foliage.

Fortunately for Rolla residents who are contemplating how to dispose of their leaves, the city offers a couple of alternatives to help make your leaf disposal efforts a little more convenient.

If you like to get outside, and grab a rake, the City of Rolla’s Solid Waste Department will continue to offer the pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13, 2008. To receive this service, the leaves must be placed in brown paper biodegradable yard waste bags, which can be purchased at many stores in the area. We also ask that you place your bags to the curb by 6 a.m. so our equipment operators can pick them up on your normal collection day.

Please be aware that this service will be suspended from Dec. 13, 2008 through March 1, 2009. Collection of yard waste (leaves, grass, clippings and small sticks) in brown paper bags will resume on Monday, March 2, 2009. Residents wishing to dispose of these materials during the winter suspension can use the composting facility located at the Phelps County Transfer Station, or arrange for a special pick up for a fee. For more information please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693.

Rolla residents can also get their leaves picked up by the Parks and Recreation Department Monday through Friday for a nominal fee through Dec. 15, 2008 (leaves will not be picked up after noon Friday or during weekends and holidays). We just ask that you rake or haul all leaves to the 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.

New users of this service must pay a $120 refundable deposit or leave a credit card number. The fee is $40 per half hour with the minimum charge of $40, and all fees must be paid within two weeks of the service being completed. Credit card payments (Visa, Master Card & Discover) are preferred. If you wish to use this service, or to get more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (573) 364-4278.

Rolla residents who have household hazardous waste materials such as car batteries, used oil or antifreeze, or other toxic, poisonous or flammable products may dispose of them at the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility. The facility is operated by the City’s Solid Waste Department at the Rolla Recycling Center located off Old St. James Road.

Use of the facility is encouraged by all Rolla residents, however, this is strictly a residential service; business and commercial waste is prohibited. If you are interested in using the facility, we simply ask that you make an appointment by calling the Rolla Recycling Center during normal business hours at (573) 364-6693.

Beliveries will be accepted by appointment only. For a complete list of items that will be acceptable to drop off at the facility, please contact the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.

The new Household Hazardous Waste facility is open to residents in the Rolla/Phelps County community as well as the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, and Washington counties). There is also a new HHW facility located in the City of St. Robert in Pulaski County.

This service will be more convenient, accessible, and safer for the public and employees alike, and reflects the City of Rolla’s commitment of “going green.”

Police Chief Chat - Awards Banquet / Fight / Halloween Safety

Good morning! I hope you had a great week and a safe Halloween. We kicked off our “Project Halloween” campaign by assigning additional officers to patrol the traditional “hot spots” for trick-or-treaters around the city. The Patrol Division was supplemented by a host of Missouri S&T students who travel in groups in these same areas looking for unsafe activity, lost children and other dangerous situations, then report them to the patrol officers assigned to that area. Thank you to Missouri S&T for your support and continued assistance.

Our Behind the Badge group held a bake sale Thursday evening at the Wal-Mart Supercenter to raise money for charitable events and to sponsor our annual awards banquet which will be held this evening at the Havener Center. The bake sale raised over $300.00 in just 2 hours, which is remarkable considering all the other events going on at this time. Thank you to the ladies of the Behind the Badge organization for the time and effort to create some wonderful snacks and desserts and to Wal-Mart Supercenter for allowing us to hold the sale at the store.

Our annual awards banquet is an opportunity for our Rolla Police Family to get together and pay tribute to the members of our agency that went above and beyond what is considered the normal call to duty to protect our community and keep our citizens safe. My staff and I gather recommendations throughout the year from supervisors, other officers and citizens then award citations to officers and civilian personnel that qualify for the following awards: Medal of Honor, Legion of Honor, Combat Cross, Wounded in Combat, Gallantry Star, Gallantry Star, Grand Cordon, Meritorious Service, Life Saving, Samaritan, Queen’s Honor, Distinguished Volunteer Service, Exceptional Duty, Honorable Service, Civilian Service, Educational Achievement and the Letter of Recognition.

Typically, the bulk of the awards are from the Exceptional Duty, Honorable Service and Letters of Recognition, but on occasion the officers become involved in situations that warrant the more prestigious awards such as the Medal of Honor and Gallantry Star. It is very common to award several Life Saving Honors for the year for officers who have performed CPR and other life saving techniques to restore life in threatening situations.

On another note, I read a disturbing report that was submitted by Cpl. Harry Eckman regarding his response to a fight call in the 1200 block of Holloway St. on Wednesday afternoon. The call came in as several subjects involved in an altercation in that area. Investigation revealed that 2 male juveniles had received an invitation via cell phone, from 2 other male juveniles to meet them at the location and fight over a pre-existing disagreement. Allegedly, the 4 male juveniles arrived at the location where an argument ensued, that led to a pushing exchange then eventually the pushing escalated to a full blown brawl where at least 3 other male juveniles and an adult male became involved in the fracas. Overall, at least 2 male juveniles were hospitalized for their injuries and others sought individual treatment.

What concerns me is the willingness of the initial male juveniles to meet at some location to commit a serious crime. Secondly, the alleged involvement of an adult male, who is supposed to know better, but becomes active as a primary aggressor in the situation. The adult male was arrested for 2 counts of assault in the 1st degree and 9 counts of endangering the welfare of a juvenile. These are serious crimes and carry substantial punishment upon conviction. This situation is troubling in that it reminds me of a very similar situation where a Rolla youth was kicked and beaten at a local restaurant over a trivial matter that led to a permanent brain injury. Please realize this type of situation can get out of hand real quick and lead to serious injury or death to those involved and may also lead to substantial punishment to those responsible. Think before you act!

In closing, I would like to mention that our Law Enforcement Torch Run Trivia Night was tremendous fun and a great success. We were able to raise over $1500.00 for our Special Olympic athletes thanks to the support received from both the entering teams and our sponsors. Without you, we could not succeed. Special thanks to Administrative assistant Kerri Schultz, Lt. Doug James and S/Sgt. Rick Williams for their coordination efforts to make the evening a success. Thank you for helping us help the athletes!