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A listing of upcoming public meetings and events of interest involving City government, and the greater Rolla community. For information on items with no contact number, please call City Hall at 364-1384. For an additional community calendar of events, visit the Rolla Chamber of Commerce.
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The Tour of Missouri is coming back to Phelps County once again in 2009! Both Rolla and St. James were selected from over 30 cities to be host communities. This honor was bestowed on both cities based on the overwhelming support and enthusiasm displayed during the stages in 2008. In speaking with the organizers, they just couldn’t pass up visiting this wonderful area once again.
Over the next 10 weeks, this column will attempt to educate everyone on the sport of cycling and provide some of the details about the events leading up to race day. Most people I talked to before the race last year didn’t quite understand everything involved and were a bit skeptical about what they might see. However, after seeing the race first hand, they were convinced the Tour was a great thing for both Rolla and St. James.
The Tour of Missouri has a tremendous impact on tourism and economic development with in the State of Missouri. In the first two editions of the Tour, over 750,000 people have witnessed the race. Many are locals, but over 40% are from out of state. Locally over 20,000 people witnessed the Tour in Rolla or St. James. The Tour has allowed smaller cities, like Rolla and St. James, to showcase everything they have to offer. From all these visitors, the state has seen an economic impact of over $50 million in two years. This is figured based on surveys taken from spectators on site. Determining what percentage or share Phelps County received is a bit of a challenge, but sales tax revenue was up considerably in comparing September to previous years and nearly every hotel bed within 30 miles was filled on the evening of September 11.
There are a couple opportunities to receive some first hand knowledge of cycling over the next few weeks. One of the best will be a luncheon on Tuesday, June 30 at the Havener Center at 11:30AM. This luncheon will feature Brad Huff, a professional cyclist from Jelly Belly Cycling Team. Brad is a resident of Fair Grove, Missouri. Brad has achieved a tremendous amount of success on a bike and will share his experiences. In addition to Brad, there will be a silent auction for items donated by local businesses, and the kickoff of a great raffle. You will have the opportunity to win a Trek Soho Bicycle (donated by Rt. 66 Bicycles), a framed autographed Tour of Missouri jersey, tickets to the Rolla Finish VIP tent or a GPS.
As a way of increasing the cycling in the local communities, the Local Organizing Committees in Rolla and St. James are hosting a weekly, family fun ride. The rides will take place each Tuesday and begin at 6:30 PM and alternate between Rolla and St. James. Information on each ride will be available from this article. The ride for June 30th will be in St. James, the projected starting point for the TOM. These rides are relatively flat and short allowing the entire family to join in. A leader will be present each week and ensure no one is left behind.
For more information about the Tour of Missouri or any of the events contact 573-341-2386, or log on to www.tourofmissouri.com
This article was writting by Scott Caron, City of Rolla Recreation Director Chairman of Rolla’s Local Organizing Committee for the Tour of Missouri.
The Centre, in partnership with Ozarks Coca-Cola and Phelps County Bank, is sponsoring the annual Firecracker 5K Run and Kids' Race on Saturday, July 4 at 7 a.m. at Ber Juan Park (located at the corner of 14th and Holloway Streets in Rolla).
Race day registration is from 6:30 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. at Ber Juan Park in the pavilion above SplashZone - Rolla's water park. The registration fee is $15 for the 5K run. The Kids' Race is free. Entry forms can be picked up at The Centre at 1200 N. Holloway Street. Anyone 14 years of age or older is eligible to participate in the 5K.
Everyone who registers for this event will receive an event T-shirt and there will be awards for the top three place winners in a number of age categories.
For more information, please stop by The Centre or call (573) 341-2FUN.
Rolla City Hall will be closed Friday, July 3 in observance of Independence Day.
The CENTRE, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex, will be open Independence Day, Saturday, July 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
SplashZone, Rolla’s outdoor water park, will have Independence Dollar Day on July 4 and will be open from 12-noon to 4 p.m. Admission for everyone is $1 on July 4.
The Environmental Services Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday, July 1 and Friday’s trash will be picked up on Thursday, July 3. There will be no special pick ups on Wednesday, July 1 due to the schedule change.
For more information, please call 426-6948 or visit www.rollacity.org.
The City of Rolla Public Works Department began the first phase of an asphalt sealing project on June 24 that included Vichy Road, Vienna Road and Fairburn Road.
This micro surfacing procedure is being provided by Donelson Construction Company of Clever, Missouri. It is a modified quick set surfacing system that will provide an approximate one-quarter-inch-thick pavement resurfacing. Micro surfacing is an economical alternative to hot asphalt mix overlays, which typically applies a minimum of one - and one-half-inches of pavement resurfacing.
Future Streets in Rolla that are scheduled for this maintenance activity include:
While this work may take several days to complete, streets that are being sealed will remain open with temporary one-lane traffic established. Flagmen will be present to direct traffic, and motorists and pedestrians are urged to remain cautious when traveling through the areas of work. Delays up to 20 minutes should be expected.
For more information, please call the Public Works Department at (573) 364-8659.
The City of Rolla Environmental Services Department will be closed Friday, July 3 in observance of the July 4th, Independence Day Holiday.
Due to the holiday, Thursday’s trash, recycling and yard waste routes will be ran on Wednesday, July 1 and Friday’s routes will be ran on Thursday, July 2. There will be no special pick-ups on Wednesday due to the schedule change.
If you have any questions, please call 364-6693 or visit www.rollacity.org.
The 4th of July holiday means American flags, hot dogs, watermelon and fireworks. While they are truly spectacular, fireworks can quickly turn a happy celebration into a tragedy when someone is injured.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2006, an estimated 9,200 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for firework related injuries. The majority of those injuries – about 6,400 – occurred during the month around the 4th of July.
The CPSC states, “Although legal consumer fireworks that comply with the CPSC regulations can be relatively safe, all fireworks are hazardous and can cause injury. Fireworks should be used only with extreme caution. Older children should be closely supervised, and younger children should not be allowed to play with fireworks.”
If you choose to use fireworks, please treat them with respect. Read the cautions and warnings on the package, and use common sense. Never light fireworks indoors, throw them from a moving car or light multiple fireworks at once. Be sure to follow local laws regarding the use of fireworks.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also recommends these safety measures:
Are you ready to safely celebrate the 4th of July? Take this quiz from the National Council on Fireworks Safety to test your knowledge – www.fireworksafety.com/pdfs/FireworkSafetyTest.pdf.
For more information on fireworks safety, please call the Phelps County Health Department at (573) 458-6010 or the City of Rolla Fire and Rescue at (573) 364-3989.
Music Under the Stars is a FREE concert that will take place at the downtown bandshell Friday, Aug. 14, from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. The concert features two great local bands; Beeker Street and Pseudo Blues Band.
Music Under the Stars is a free event for the whole family; bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy the music. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
For more information, please contact the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce at 573-364-3577 or rollacc@rollachamber.org. The downtown bandshell is located at the corner of 9th and Oaks Streets next to Rolla City Hall and the Frisco Caboose.
The next Family Fun Bike Ride sponsored by the Rolla Local Organizing Committee for the Tour of Missouri will be held Tuesday, July 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Route 66 Bicycles (located off 6th Street next to the Kroger parking lot in downtown Rolla).
Thereafter the rides will occur every other week on Tuesday evenings at a different location within the City of Rolla at 6:30 p.m. Stay tuned for the locations. These rides are intended for riders of all ages and abilities.
We will ride as a group at a gentle pace to accommodate everyone and will generally ride no longer than an hour. Helmets are required.
We look forward to seeing you there. Please bring along your family and friends!
If you have any questions, please call Paul Joyner at 573-429-2272. Come out and help support the Tour of Missouri!
More than 31 tons of materials were collected during a Special Collection event co-hosted by the City of Rolla Environmental Services Department on May 9 at Brewer Science, Inc. in Rolla.
The event provided an outlet for the public to dispose of tires, appliances, and electronic waste. On that Saturday more than eight tons of tires, 11 tons of appliances, and 12 tons of electronic wastes were collected.
Co-sponsors of the event included Brewer Science, Inc., the Department of Natural Resources, Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, Phelps County Commission, and Meramec Regional Planning Commission.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Officials with the 2009 Tour of Missouri and Columbia Sportswear Company announced today that Columbia will be the official sportswear partner for the third annual elite professional cycling road race. Under the sponsorship, Columbia will outfit staff, VIPs, local volunteers and all VERSUS, Website and on-site announcers with industry-leading Columbia outdoor apparel that protects against rain, cold and even the sun’s harmful UV rays.
The seven day, 600+ mile stage race, will take 15 of the world’s top professional cycling teams from St. Louis to Kansas City, through some of the state’s most picturesque highways, roadways and highlights. Scheduled from September 7 -13, 2009, the third annual race will visit 11 host cities for stage starts and finishes along the route. Columbia Sportswear Company also sponsors Team Columbia-Highroad, one of the 15 teams in the Tour. Additional teams announced to-date include Astana, BMC Racing, Cervelo Test Team, Garmin-Slipstream, Jelly Belly, Liquigas, OUCH Presented by MAXXIS, QuickStep and SaxoBank.
“Columbia Sportswear is delighted to be the official sportswear sponsor of the 2009 Tour of Missouri, and to have our sponsored cycling team – Team Columbia-Highroad – compete in this prestigious race,” said Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia Sportswear Company. “Columbia’s outdoor products are developed specifically to help people get outside and enjoy the outdoors while staying protected from the elements. This event is an ideal environment to showcase the ability of Columbia’s innovative apparel, such as Omni-Shade sun-protective clothing, to meet the diverse needs of athletes, spectators, race organizers, media and all outdoor enthusiasts who will be drawn to this exciting event.”
"Columbia Sportswear's long-standing tradition of creating clothing that allows outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy their activities longer and more comfortably makes it the perfect fit to be the sportswear partner of the 2009 Tour of Missouri,” said Chris Aronhalt, managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. "This sponsorship is not only a great addition to the race, but also shows growth and commitment to the continued success of professional cycling in Missouri and across the United States."
During the 2009 Tour of Missouri, elite international and domestic cycling teams will traverse the state from east to west, with scheduled stops in the following host cities: St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Rolla, St. James, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Chillicothe, St. Joseph and Kansas City.
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation’s for cycling last month.
About the Tour of Missouri
After two exceptionally successful races, beginning in 2007, the Show Me State will again welcome 120 of the world’s elite cyclists on a 600-mile point-to-point race, to be held September 7-13, 2009. The third edition of the Tour will include seven days of racing from St. Louis to Kansas City, finishing with a stunning circuit race in Kansas City. The race is sanctioned by the UCI and USA Cycling, the international and national governing bodies for cycling, respectively. The event’s management group is Medalist Sports of Tyrone, Ga., the organizers of The Amgen Tour of California and other professional cycling and sporting events. KOM Sports Marketing of Colorado Springs, Colo., is the event’s marketing agency. For additional information please visit www.tourofmissouri.com
About Columbia Sportswear Company
Founded in 1938 in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear Company is a global leader in the design, sourcing, marketing and distribution of active outdoor apparel and footwear. As one of the largest outerwear manufacturers in the world and a leading seller of skiwear in the United States, the company has developed an international reputation for quality, performance, functionality and value. The company manages a portfolio of outdoor brands including Columbia Sportswear, Montrail, Mountain Hardwear, Pacific Trail, and Sorel. To learn more about Columbia, please visit the company's website at http://www.columbia.com.
The Phelps County Fair will be held Wednesday, July 22 through Saturday, July 25 at the Phelps County Fairgrounds located at 12860 U.S. Route 63 South in Rolla, Missouri.
Advance season passes are on sale now for $25 in Rolla at the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, Bank of America, Country Mart, Dave’s Barber Shop, Central Federal Savings & Loan, Citizens Bank of Newburg, Kroger, Phelps County Bank and Rolla Farmer’s Exchange, The Family Center, Town & Country Bank and Rolla Federal Credit Union. Children under the age of five are admitted free. Daily admission or a season pass includes all grandstand/special events and free carnival rides. Thursday night is Military Night and the entire family gets in for $25 with a valid Military ID.
Wednesday fair events include: bull ride, kids games, Princess and Queen Pageant, World’s Finest Rolla German Band and singer Lois Ann Marler. Thursday fair events include: bull ride, talent show, kids games, karaoke and Josh Gibbs. Friday fair events include: truck and tractor pull, horseshoe pitching, kids games, Cecil Williams and The Lost Outlaw Band. Saturday fair events include: Little Mr. & Miss Pageant, parent/child Look-a-Like contest, kids games, demolition derby, mud run, No Leaf Clover, petting zoo and Pierpoint.
For a complete list of events and festivities, please visit http://www.phelpscountyfair.com or call 573.364.6343.
The 74th Annual Lions Club Carnival will be held Wednesday, July 1 through Saturday, July 4 at Rolla Lions Club Park located at U.S. 63 South in Rolla.
For a complete list of events for this four-day July 4th celebration, please visit http://www.rollalions.org/~lions/carnival or call 573.364.4386.
For more information, please call 573.364.4386.
Two different fireworks displays will be held during the Lions Club Carnival on Thursday, July 2 at 11 p.m. and on Saturday, July 4 at 11 p.m.
The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot health and recreation complex, was recently featured in an ActiveRewards Newsletter that is distributed nationally for The Centre’s participation in a Disney XD Basketball Knockout Game promotion with Centre members this past fall.
"Over the past two years The Centre participated in the ActiveRewards program that allows The Centre to distribute complimentary products such as Marathon Energy bars, flavored water, lotion, etc. to Centre members,” said Scott Caron, Recreation Director for the City of Rolla. “In return, The Centre provides ActiveRewards with pictures and feedback from the sampling.”
Being featured in the national level newsletter gave The Centre staff an opportunity to market and promote the many outstanding facilities and programs offered at The Centre to folks all over the country. ActiveRewards introduced the CENTRE’s Optimist Basketball league to the new Disney XD Television network by getting kids engaged in the Disney XD Knockout Basketball challenge. The CENTRE received neon wristbands, full-size banners, and Disney XD branded basketballs as grand prizes.
The ActiveRewards newsletter, which can be viewed online at www.active.com/images/newsletters/ActiveRewards/051109, also includes a photo of the Disney XD participants proudly wearing their complimentary neon Disney XD Television Network wrist bands. The Centre’s Recreation Manager Linda Roberts is also quoted in the newsletter saying that “The kids in our Optimist Basketball league enjoyed the great wristbands, the good natured competition, and the chance to win a Disney XD basketball!”
For more information about The Centre, please call (573) 341-2386 or visit www.rollacity.org/centre.
Event organizers and Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder announced the participation of USA Cycling’s National Race Calendar’s top-ranked team OUCH presented by MAXXIS to the line up for the Tour of Missouri, an elite professional cycling race scheduled for Sept. 7-13, 2009.
The OUCH Presented by MAXXIS team joins an increasingly prestigious roster for the third annual event, including Astana, BMC Racing, Cervelo Test Team, Columbia-High Road, Garmin Slipstream, Jelly Belly, Liquigas, QuickStep, and SaxoBank.
A total of 15 teams will compete, and individual race rosters will be announced in August.
Team OUCH will be led by Floyd Landis, who won the 2006 Amgen Tour of California and the 2006 Tour de Georgia. Team standout Rory Sutherland of Australia was the 2008 United States National Race Calendar winner and is currently positioned No. 1 domestically. Sutherland’s versatility has enabled him to dominate cycling; his experience coupled with a team line up that works exceptionally well together, has created a formidable group considered one of the strongest continental squads racing in the Americas.
“With the addition of Team OUCH, the Tour of Missouri continues on pace to become one of the elite racing events in the world. Without a doubt, fans will witness an exciting and competitive race,” said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. “Team OUCH adds another layer of distinction to the race. Team OUCH has traditionally been one of the top teams in the western hemisphere over the past five years.”
Team OUCH comes off of a strong finish at Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayetteville, Ark., with top racers, including Rory Sutherland, Karl Menzies, Andrew Pinfold, John Murphy and Bobby Lea.
The overall course will start in St. Louis and end in Kansas City, routing more than 600 miles of the Show-Me-State. Last year an estimated 435,000 spectators lined the roadside for the event; while people from 145 countries watched live coverage via the world webcast of the event.
A pair of Americans have won the first iterations of the race: Christian Vande Velde, who finished fourth overall in the Tour de France before winning in 2008; and George Hincapie, who won the inaugural race in 2007. Both Vande Velde and Hincapie are expected back with their Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-High road teams, respectively, this year.
“Team OUCH adds to the event’s appeal to race fans, biking enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys watching elite athletes compete,” said Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. “This team is considered one of the strongest teams in the world, and we look forward to the respect and attention that such a group will attract to the event. We expect the third Tour of Missouri to be a high profile event, garnering status as one of the premier cycling events in the world.”
The 2009 race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation’s for cycling. Additional teams will be announced in coming weeks.
The Tour of Missouri’s premier sponsors to-date are Missouri Tourism, Missouri Farm Bureau of Jefferson City and St. Louis-based companies Drury Hotels, Emerson and Edward Jones. Industry sponsors to date are MAVIC, Yakima, and Hincapie Sportswear.
For more information, please visit www.tourofmissouri.com, or contact Priscilla Visintine at (314) 422-5646 or Steve Brunner at (719) 322-7022.
The Rolla Downtown Farmers Market is now open every Tuesday, beginning June 2 from 7 a.m. until 12-noon in the City’s Downtown Festival Lot next to City Hall at the corner of 9th and Oak Streets.
In addition to a variety of fresh vegitables and fruit, there are vendors with homemade baked goods, jellies/preserves, and many other one-of-a-kind items.
For additional information, please contact Kristy Rich in the City of Rolla's Parks and Recreation Department at (573) 364-4278.
One of the most popular destinations for students and families during the summer months is SplashZone, Rolla's outdoor waterpark, which opened on Saturday, May 23 at 12-noon.
SplashZone is centrally located at the corner of 14th and Holloway Streets, adjacent to The Centre. It will remain open through Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 7. Hours of operation are weekdays (Monday-Friday) 12-noon to 7 p.m. and weekends from 12-noon to 6 p.m. Admission is $4.50 per person (ages 4 and up). For children age 3 and under there is no charge.
On Independence Dollar Day, Saturday, July 4, everyone is admitted for $1. On Grandparent's Day, Sunday, July 19, grandparents are admitted FREE with a child's admission. On Sunday, Aug. 2 it's Mom's Special Day where mom gets in FREE with a child's admission. On Saturday, Sept. 12 it's the 'Canine Plunge' from 12-noon to 3 p.m. It's the end of the season swim for pets (accompanied by owner) that have been socialized and have their current vaccine updates. Early registration is REQUIRED, and it is limited to 30 canines. Cost is $5 per canine.
For more information, please click here or call (573) 364-8222 or (573) 341-2386.
For the first time in the history of the Rolla Animal Shelter, the shelter had a staggering 93% adoption rate in the month of April with 29 dogs and 22 cats adopted out.
According to Inge Wilson, Animal Control Manager, Rolla Animal Control, a Division of the Rolla Police Department, also transferred ownership of 11 dogs and 9 cats to various rescue groups, including the Phelps County Animal Welfare League.
A big factor contributing to the high adoption rates can be attributed to the staff, which includes Animal Control Officers John Redshaw, Roy Taylor and Janet Ray, a new part-time Animal Control Officer who recently joined the Animal Control Division. Janet washes and grooms all the animals that are up for adoption, outfits them in colorful bandanas, and hangs friendly notes about the animals on their cages.
Inge would also like to remind the community that Rolla Animal Control has teamed up with the Phelps County Animal Welfare League (PCAWL) and Royal Canin, USA to operate an Animal Food Pantry at the Rolla Animal Shelter located at 1915 Sharp Road in Rolla.
For more information regarding the Animal Food Pantry, an application, and eligibility requirements, please contact Rolla Animal Control at 364-6995 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org. To make a donation to the Animal Food Pantry, please contact the Phelps County Animal Welfare League by visiting their Website at www.pcawl.org.
The Pantry will be available to pet owners who have fallen on hard times, the elderly and disabled. Only qualified applicants, who meet the financial and residential guidelines of the program, will be eligible to use the Animal Food Pantry. It will be open only to citizens living in the City of Rolla and Phelps County.
The Rolla Police Department issued a total of 128 citations and warning during enforcement efforts focused on hazardous moving and impaired driving violations the weekend of May 1-3 in Rolla.
During the effort, City of Rolla Police Officers made a total of 112 traffic stops and issued a total of 128 citations and warnings that included 32 speeding violations, 15 seatbelt violations, one child restraint violation, 21 uninsured motorists violations, five stop sign violations, four traffic signal violations, one failed to yield violation, four Careless & Imprudent Driving violations, eight following too close violations, and 31 other tickets for other miscellaneous traffic violations. Officers also made five DWI arrests, two suspended/revoked license arrests, and 1 fugitive arrest.
The enforcement was part of the “You Drink & Drive, You Lose” and the “Missouri Arrive Alive” campaigns. Police Officers from the City of Rolla worked an extra 48 hours during the campaign period.
“Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol is never worth the risk of a tragedy,” said Corporal Harry Eckman, Rolla Police Department Traffic Division Supervisor. “We’re working to keep our roads safer.”
Driving while intoxicated remains one of the top causes of fatal car crashes in Missouri. In 2007, 243 people in Missouri were killed in more than 7,780 alcohol-related crashes. Enforcement efforts like this one help to take impaired drivers off the road and make travel in Missouri safer.
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.saveMOlives.com.
JEFFERSON CITY, MO - Following the announcement of No. 1-ranked Quickstep’s participation two weeks ago, the current world No. 2-ranked team, Saxo Bank of Denmark, has been announced for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for Sept. 7-13, 2009.
The addition of the powerful Saxo Bank team, which is led by superstars Fabian Cancellara (Olympic and world champion time trialist) of Switzerland; brothers Frank and Andy Schleck (winner of last weekend’s Leige-Bastogne-Leige) of Luxembourg and Germany’s Jens Voigt, will mark the seventh entrant expected to line up at the 2009 Tour de France this summer. It will mark Saxo Bank’s first time racing at the Tour of Missouri.
“With the addition of Saxo Bank, this will be one of the best fields assembled on American soil,” said Jim Birrell, the event’s race director. “The stature of the event continues to grow, and the participation of Saxo Bank re-enforces how far the Tour of Missouri has matured in three short years. This is shaping up to be a special kind of race and we expect people from around the country to see the world’s best come to Missouri.”
Lt. Governor Peter Kinder said: “We have exceeded our expectations with the field of this race. No doubt this will translate directly into more spectators and more economic impact for the state and host cities.”
Saxo Bank joins one of the top fields assembled outside of Europe this season.
Previously announced are the world No. 1-ranked Quickstep of Belgium; top United States-based teams Garmin-Slipstream and world No. 5-ranked Columbia-High Road, as well as the world No. 3-ranked Cervelo Test Team, 2009 Tour de France favorite Astana, and one of Italy’s top pro tour teams Liquigas. Domestic-based Jelly Belly and recent Paris-Roubaix team entrant BMC Racing have also been announced.
“Tour of Missouri has quickly grown in stature and quality each year, which is reflected in the quality of the teams and riders who will compete in the 2009 race,” said Sean Petty, the Chief Operating Officer for USA Cycling and a member of the UCI’s Road Commission. “Undoubtedly this has become one of the best races outside Europe in three short years. This directly correlates to the high level of marketing and management behind the event and the key support from the state.”
The overall course will take on a very different slant in 2009. For the first time, the race will route east to west, starting in St. Louis and finishing in Kansas City. The past two years, the race routed west to east starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis. A total of nine teams have been announced to date. A total of 15 teams will be slotted in for the September line up.
The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
The overall mileage for the course is expected to be more than 600 miles.
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation’s for cycling. The upgrade will guarantee more top teams. Additional teams will be announced in coming weeks.
American Christian Vande Velde won last year’s race, while countryman George Hincapie won the inaugural race in 2007.
The Tour of Missouri’s premier sponsors to date are Missouri Tourism, Missouri Farm Bureau of Jefferson City, Drury Hotels, Edward Jones and Wind Capital Management, all of St. Louis.
For more information, please visit www.tourofmissouri.com. Join our community site at www.tourofmissourifanzone.com
RACE CONTACTS: STATE CONACT:
Priscilla Visintine, (314) 422-5646 or Gary McElyea, (417) 848-4878
Steve Brunner, (719) 322-7022
Quick Facts
Dates: September 7-13, 2009
UCI Ranking: 2. HC (one of top 5 outside Europe)
Total Estimated Miles: 625
Teams (to date, as of April 28, 2009): Astana (LUX); BMC Racing (USA); Cervelo Test Team (SUI); Columbia-High Road (USA); Garmin-Slipstream (USA); Jelly Belly (USA); Liquigas (ITL); QuickStep (BEL); Saxo Bank (DEN)
Television: in final negotiation
Live Web coverage (3 hrs daily): tourofmissouri.com
2008 Champion: Christian Vande Velde, USA (Garmin-Chipotle)
2007 Champion: George Hincapie, USA (Discovery Channel)
Sanctioning: International Cycling Union, USA Cycling
Presenting Sponsor: Missouri Division of Tourism
Course Schedule
Sept. 7 / Monday / St. Louis, Circuit Race
Sept. 8 / Tuesday / Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau, Road Race
Sept. 9 / Wednesday / Farmington to Rolla, Road Race
Sept. 10 / Thursday / St. James to Jefferson City, Road Race
Sept. 11 / Friday / Sedalia, Individual Time Trial
Sept. 12 / Saturday / Chillicothe to St. Joseph, Road Race
Sept. 13 / Sunday / Kansas City, Circuit Race
The public is invited to attend Rolla Night with the Springfield Cardinals on Friday, June 19 at Hammonds Field in Springfield, Mo. Game time is 7:10 p.m.
City of Rolla business groups, civic groups, church groups, youth groups, families and all individuals are welcome to join the fun.
In addition to the ball game, which begins at 7:10 p.m., there will be lots of pre-game events and on field performances by the Rolla Middle School Choir, The Dance Studio Dancers, cheerleaders, and youth baseball teams which will participate in the on field parade. One team will also be chosen for the Field of Dreams.
Tickets are $9 and can purchased at the following local businesses starting May 1: Brown Veterinary Clinic, Key Sport, Mike Newkirk Plumbing, Scott's Printing and The Dance Studio. Proceeds will benefit the Rolla Animal Shelter.
For more information or to register your group, please call 364-0696.
Armed with shovels, Cypress mulch, and three sapling trees, five members of the Octagon Club at Rolla High School joined Parks and Recreation Director Ken Kwantes in a tree planting ceremony on Earth Day, April 22 in beautiful Ber Juan Park. In less than 30 minutes the enthusiastic students planted and mulched two Cleveland Pair trees and one Okame Cherry tree.
(Members of the Octagon Club at Rolla High School planted three saplings at Ber Juan Park to celebrate Earth Day on April 22. Pictured (l to r) are: Liz Bryan; Susie Dobkins, President; Sana Khan, Treasurer; Belinda Choi, Vice President and Claire Kafka Duda, Historian. Also pictured (back center), is Ken Kwantes, Parks and Recreation Director, City of Rolla).
The tree planting ceremony was just one of the many service projects undertaken this year by members of the Octagon Club, which is lead by Nancy Lowrey, Octagon Sponsor, and Chairman of the History Department at Rolla High School. The members of the club who participated in the tree planting ceremony on Earth Day were Rolla High School students Belinda Choi, Vice President; Susie Dobkins, President; Claire Kafka Duda, Historian; Sana Khan, Treasurer; and Liz Bryan.
In addition to providing all the sweat equity during the tree planting, the Octagon Club also paid for the three trees and the planting materials. The holes for the trees were prepared by members of the Parks and Recreation Department, which also delivered and watered them.
"This was a great way to celebrate Earth Day and to partner with the Octagon Club at Rolla High School," said Ken Kwantes. "The students have added three beautiful trees to the 100-acre Ber Juan Park, and we are very appreciative of their efforts."
The trees were planted in a very visible area of the park next to Farrar Drive and the south side of the Skate Park.
The Census Bureau has launched a massive field operation to kick off the 2010 Census. More than 140,000 U.S. Census Bureau workers are now verifying addresses in Rolla, Phelps County and all across the nation, as the first major field operation of the 2010 Census is underway.
Address verification is a critically important step to assure that every housing unit receives a census questionnaire in March 2010. The Kansas City Region includes 6 states where approximately 11,000 census takers will verify and update more than 10 million housing units. Address verification will take approximately six to eight weeks to complete.
"With this operation, the 2010 Census literally hits the roads and the streets. We go to all communities and neighborhoods to make sure that we have correct addresses," said Dennis Johnson, Regional Director. "This is the first publicly visible activity of the 2010 Census. Census workers are not in uniforms, they will have official identification and they'll use hand-held computers equipped with GPS to increase geographic accuracy. We've also sent notices about this operation to law enforcement agencies."
Census workers may knock on doors to verify addresses and inquire about additional living quarters on certain premises. Workers may ask people in some neighborhoods a few simple questions about housing units. All information collected, including addresses, is kept confidential and protected by law.
By law the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with any other government agency. No court of law or law enforcement agency can find out respondents' answers. All Census Bureau employees – including temporary workers – take an oath for life to keep census information confidential.
"The primary goal of the Census Bureau is to count everyone living in the country, count them once, and count them in the right place. Census data helps inform the process of reapportioning seats to the U.S. House of Representatives," said Dennis Johnson. "Plus, over $300 billion in federal dollars get distributed every year to state and local governments based on census data. It's essential to get this first step right and that's why we're out in neighborhoods all over the region and the country."
The current world No. 1-ranked team, QuickStep of Belgium, has been announced for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for Sept. 7-13, 2009.
QuickStep is the team of international superstar Tom Boonen, who won Sunday's Paris-Roubaix for the third time, Stijn Devolder of Belgium and Australian Allan Davis, who has led the UCI's Pro Tour standings much of the year.
It will be QuickStep's first time racing at the Tour of Missouri.
"It is a big win for Missouri that the world No. 1 ranked team has chosen to participate in one of the world's top bike races," said Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. "The caliber of athletes and teams will translate directly into more spectators and more economic impact for the state and host cities."
"To add the current top-ranked team on the world circuit to the Tour of Missouri is phenomenal," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. "The stature of the event continues to grow, and the participation of QuickStep reinforces how far the Tour of Missouri has matured in two short years. We are proud of the race's impeccable reputation, and pleased that several of the world's top-ranked teams have requested invites. We now have six Tour de France entrants in the race, a staggering amount for a young race."
QuickStep joins one of the top fields assembled outside of Europe this season.
Previously announced are top United States-based teams Garmin-Slipstream and world No. 3-ranked Columbia-High Road, as well as the world No. 2-ranked Cervelo Test Team, 2009 Tour de France favorite Astana, and one of Italy's top pro tour teams Liquigas. Domestic-based Jelly Belly and recent Paris-Roubaix team entrant BMC Racing have also been announced.
The overall course will take on a very different slant in 2009. For the first time, the race will route east to west, starting in St. Louis and finishing in Kansas City. The past two years, the race routed west to east starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis.
According to Aronhalt, race organizers are close to two other big-name team signings. A total of eight teams have been announced to date. A total of 15 teams will be slotted in for the September line up.
The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
The overall mileage for the course is expected to be more than 600 miles.
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling. The upgrade will guarantee more top teams. Additional teams will be announced in coming weeks.
American Christian Vande Velde won last year's race, while countryman George Hincapie won the inaugural race in 2007.
The Tour of Missouri's premier sponsors to date are Missouri Tourism, Missouri Farm Bureau of Jefferson City, Drury Hotels, Edward Jones, both of St. Louis.
For more information, please visit www.tourofmissouri.com, or contact Priscilla Visintine at (314) 422-5646 or Steve Brunner at (719) 322-7022.
The message to 'shop local' was sent again to the Rolla community by members of the Rolla City Council when they recently approved the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday for the first weekend in August (Aug. 7 through Aug. 9).
As stated in the recently passed ordinance to ‘opt in' to the state back to school sales tax holiday, the sales tax holiday (tax savings of 2.5%) is intended to provide tax relief to families with children attending school by exempting the sales tax on clothing, personal computers, certain computer software, and school supplies. The sale officially begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August (Aug. 7), and ends at midnight on the Sunday following (Aug. 9).
The Back to School Sales Tax Holiday was first established in 2004 by the Missouri State Legislature when the legislature passed Senate Bill 11. At that time Rolla and more than 135 other cities opted-out of the exemption over a concern for a loss in sales tax revenue. While it is possible that the Sales Tax Holiday could cost the City of Rolla anywhere between $10,000 and $18,000 in lost sales tax revenue, the tax savings of 2.5% on clothing, school supplies and personal computers should be a welcomed relief for families with school-aged children.
As the message continues to spread that Rolla is participating in the Back to School Sales Tax, the City, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce and local businesses and restaurants will hopefully see an increase in local purchases all across the board.
In February, the Rolla City Council approved a City Ordinance to "opt in" the Green Sales Tax Holiday enacted by the Missouri State Legislature. By enacting this ordinance, the City elects to allow the Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday 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 and ending at midnight on April 25.
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.
Rolla Animal Control teamed up with the Phelps County Animal Welfare League (PCAWL) and Royal Canin, USA to open a new Animal Food Pantry at the Rolla Animal Shelter located at 1915 Sharp Road in Rolla.
The Animal Food Pantry officially opened to the public on Friday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Rolla Animal Shelter, and will operate strictly through donations of dog and cat food from Royal Canin, USA and donations to PCAWL.
The Pantry will be available to pet owners who have fallen on hard times, the elderly and disabled. Only qualified applicants, who meet the financial and residential guidelines of the program, will be eligible to use the Animal Food Pantry. It will be open only to citizens living in the City of Rolla and Phelps County.
"Due to the economic times we are experiencing, more and more individuals are dropping off their dogs and cats at the Rolla Animal Shelter," said Inge Wilson, Rolla Animal Control Manager. "We wanted to proactively respond to this situation, before escalates any further."
Wilson is hopeful that the Animal Food Pantry will not only prevent an influx of animals relinquished to the Rolla Animal Shelter, but it will also provide a valuable service to the public.
The pantry is scheduled to open one day a month, depending on donations, and the level of demand for this new program. Future dates and hours of operation of the Animal Food Pantry will be announced at a later date.
For more information regarding the Animal Food Pantry please contact Rolla Animal Control at 364-6995.
An application and eligibility requirements can be downloaded here.
To make a donation to the Animal Food Pantry, please contact the Phelps County Animal Welfare League.
Community Development Director John Petersen (pictured left), represented the City of Rolla at the first meeting of the statewide Complete County Committee in Jefferson City on Monday, March 30; one-year before Census questionnaires are sent to homes. The 26-member committee includes community leaders from across the state that will be working together to ensure every Missourian is counted in the 2010 Census.
The committee will be working with the Missouri Office of Administration and the U.S. Census Bureau to devise the best ways to reach Missouri's hard-to-count populations and to educate all Missourians about the 2010 Decennial Census.
"A year may seem a long way off, but the U.S. Census is the largest non-military mobilization in the country," said Dennis Johnson, Director of the Kansas City Regional Office, which includes Missouri and five other states. "There's a lot of preparation and awareness that goes into conducting a head count of this size."
"We are looking to community members to carry the message that the census is important," Johnson said. "More than $300 billion in Federal spending is distributed to state and local governments, community organizations, and health care providers every year based on Census data. That funding includes spending for schools, hospitals, roads and disaster relief."
"Our participation in the census will affect nearly everything that the state does for the next 10 years," said Kelvin L. Simmons, Commissioner of the Office of Administration. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Simmons as the head of the committee.
"Missouri's Complete Count Committee is comprised of citizens from all walks of life," said Simmons. "The committee will work hand-in-hand with the U.S. Census Bureau to make sure we reach every citizen, particularly in areas where we have been undercounted in the past."
Census questionnaires will be delivered to residents in March of 2010. The form will only consist of 10 questions asking basic information that gives the Census Bureau the best portrait of America. The form should only take about 10 minutes to fill out. The final step is to simply put the census form back in the mail.
Data collected from the 2010 Census is always confidential and safeguarded. Federal law protects all personal information, and policies and safeguards are in place to help ensure the confidentiality of your information. Personal information cannot be shared with any other government agency. The Census questionnaire does not ask for Social Security Numbers.
The next visible phase of the 2010 Census will be address canvassing. Beginning in April, 140,000 Census employees will be walking every street in the U.S. and its territories ensuring the Bureau's address database is up to date. Census employees will have badges identifying themselves as employees of the census, and, for the first time, canvassers will be equipped with hand-held computers to instantly update the database.
For more information, please contact Jerry Young at (816) 305-8873.
Firefighters from the City of Rolla Fire & Rescue, Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville Rural Fire Department, and St. Robert Fire Department participated in the Large Area Search Team (L.A.S.T.) training hosted March 11-13 by Rolla Fire & Rescue.
The hands-on, intensive training was conducted in conjunction with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety, Real World Firefighting – Kansas City, Big Industrial, Inc., and Allied Moving – Rolla.
L.A.S.T. training was designed by several firefighters from the Kansas City area in order to better protect fire personnel when they are performing firefighting functions at a large complex or storage building. This class was also designed to assist firefighters in locating/rescuing a downed firefighter in a structure.
Rolla Fire Chief Robert Williams said "in large complex buildings like the former Briggs and Stratton building, a small part of the building could experience fire damage; however, smoke could be present throughout the building creating conditions where it would be very possible for a firefighter to get lost."
During the L.A.S.T. training firefighters were given instructions in several areas. All of the skills listed below were conducted in complete darkness with smoke supplementing the shadows and darkness:
Proper Search Techniques: Firefighters were trained on the proper search pattern, thermal imaging, and rope rescuing.
Firefighter Rescues: During this skill, firefighters locate a downed firefighter by using a thermal imager and ropes. Once the initial search crew (A Team) has reached the downed firefighter, the rescue team (B-Team) makes entry. This team provides equipment, tools, air supply for the firefighters, and manpower. The downed firefighter is then rescued from the building by following the A Team's rope back to safety.
Proper Firefighter Rescue Carries: When a firefighter is down, your rescue time is vital to the survival of the person down. The rescue team would need to overcome the weight of the firefighter, their equipment, and any hazards throughout the building (electrical wires). All combined, it would take an average of 16 to 20 minutes to locate and rescue a firefighter from a large complex.
Overall, this three-day class was very successful. Charley Cashen, Team Leader of Real World Firefighting, stated that "the City of Rolla Fire & Rescue can be proud of their firefighting team." He also stated that "the members have a can-do attitude, and adapt and overcome many challenging conditions."
The City of Rolla Fire & Rescue would also like to thank Todd Mendon and Adam Veo, of Big Industrial, LLC, which provided the Brigg's and Stratton storage building for this class.
In addition, A-1 Moving and Storage of Rolla provided many moving crates which enabled the fire scenarios to be more realistic. The team of Mike Duncan and Troy Duncan with their staff, provided three tractor trailers and many man hours to see that this training class was successful.
"These local businesses provided all the above listed items at no charge to the City of Rolla Fire & Rescue," said Rolla Fire Chief Robert Williams. "Their support of our department is greatly appreciated."
JEFFERSON CITY, MO (March 12, 2009) - Event organizers and Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder today announced the participation of Team Astana, widely considered the world's top stage racing team currently, to the line up for the Tour of Missouri, an elite professional cycling race scheduled for September 7-13, 2009.
The Kazakstan-registered Astana team joins previously announced top United States-based teams Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-High Road, one of Italy's top pro tour teams Liquigas, as well as the Swiss-based Cervelo Test Team. Astana's participation marks the fifth entrant into the 15-team field.
"This is a big development for the Tour of Missouri," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. "To have the participation of Astana is yet another huge step for this race. The Tour of Missouri's reputation is evidently very solid in the minds of the top teams and riders. To have Team Astana join the already great line-up of teams is good for all coming to see the 2009 Tour of Missouri."
Astana is the team of top Americans Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer. Their roster also includes 2007 Tour de France winner Alberto Contador of Spain, who raced in the inaugural Tour of Missouri, and Tour de France podium finisher Andres Kloden of Germany.
"We are very much looking forward to coming to the Tour of Missouri. We like to compete in the big American races," said Johan Bruyneel, the general manager of Team Astana. "The Tour of Missouri is a very good race and will be competitive this year looking at the initial roster of teams. As always, we will bring a very good team to compete for the win."
The overall course will start in St. Louis and end in Kansas City, routing more than 600 miles of the Show-Me State. Last year an estimated 435,000 spectators lined the roadside for the event; while people from 145 countries watched live coverage via the world webcast of the event.
A pair of Americans have won the first iterations of the race: Christian Vande Velde, who finished fourth overall in the Tour de France before winning in 2008; and George Hincapie, who won the inaugural race in 2007. Both Vande Velde and Hincapie are expected back with their Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-High Road teams, respectively, this year.
"To welcome Team Astana to the field is great for the state," said Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. "Noting they are one of the world's best teams will surely draw large crowds and media attention to our state. It's another sign this race is growing into one of the premier cycling events in the world."
Race rosters will not be announced until next August but team directors are already talking about sending many of their top stars, said Aronhalt.
The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling. Additional teams will be announced in coming weeks.
The Tour of Missouri's premier sponsors to-date are Missouri Tourism, Missouri Farm Bureau of Jefferson City and St. Louis-based companies Drury Hotels, Emerson and Edward Jones.
Industry sponsors to date are MAVIC, Yakima, and Hincapie Sportswear. For more information: www.tourofmissouri.com.
RACE CONTACTS:
Priscilla Visintine, (314) 422-5646 or
Steve Brunner, (719) 322-7022
STATE CONTACT:
Gary McElyea, 573-751-1088
The Rolla Police Department would like to remind motorists to be sure to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks. Rolla City Ordinance 300.375 states: 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.
This reminder comes in answer to several complaints of motorist failing to yield to pedestrians attempting to cross roadways in marked crosswalks and also a report of several "near miss" incidents. Marked crosswalks are safe zones along roadways where common heavy pedestrian traffic is present. These zones will be marked by 2 parallel white lines across the roadway. There will also be a road sign present with the words "pedestrian crossing" or similar wording at that location.
In addition Rolla City Ordinance 300.390 states: Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any place other than within a marked crosswalk or within a marked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right of way to all vehicles.
Therefore, if you are a motorist approaching a pedestrian in a crosswalk, stop or slow down till the pedestrian clears the crosswalk. If you are a pedestrian be sure to cross roadways in marked crosswalk areas. If there are none available, cross safely and yield to all vehicles.
These ordinances are in place to ensure the safety of both motorists and pedestrians in day to day travels.
Event organizers and Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder recently announced the first four teams for the third Tour of Missouri professional cycling race, scheduled for Sept. 7-13, 2009.
Top United States-based teams Garmin-Slipstream and Columbia-High Road, one of Italy's top pro tour teams Liquigas, as well as the Swiss-based Cervelo Test Team, have been announced.
"We have had record interest in the event, which has precipitated the early announcement of the first teams committed to participate," said Chris Aronhalt, the managing partner of event organizer Medalist Sports. "The stature of the Tour of Missouri continues to grow, and the participation of top teams like Columbia-High Road, Garmin-Slipstream, Liquigas, and Cervelo – all teams expected to race in the Tour de France this year – justifies this event's world-class reputation. We anticipate the announcement of more teams in the next couple weeks."
The overall course will take on a very different slant in 2009. For the first time, the race will route east to west, starting in St. Louis and finishing in Kansas City. The past two years, the race routed west to east starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis.
"To attract some of the top teams in the world shows how important the Tour of Missouri has become," said Missouri Lt. Governor Peter Kinder. "The caliber of athletes and teams will translate directly into more spectators and more economic impact for the state and host cities."
Garmin-Slipstream is expected to field a top team that will include 2008 Tour of Missouri Race Champion Christian Vande Velde. In the off-season, the team also signed Canadian Svein Tuft, who finished third overall in last year's race.
"We're coming back to Missouri to win again," said Garmin-Slipstream's general manager Jonathan Vaughters. "It's a major objective for us, as it's our chance to show Garmin and its employees what we're all about in their backyard."
Added Vande Velde: "I like the Tour of Missouri last year. It was well publicized, well organized and had great spectators. Truly world class. It was great to finish my season with a major stage race in the Midwest and not far from home (in the Chicago area). I look forward to coming back to defend my title with my Garmin teammates."
Columbia-High Road features 2007 Tour of Missouri champion George Hincapie of Greenville, S.C., and Britain's Mark Cavendish, who won three stages of the 2008 race and the Edward Jones Sprint Points jersey, and widely is considered the world's ‘fastest man on two wheels.'
"We are looking forward to sending a top team to Missouri again this year," said Bob Stapleton, the owner and general manager of Team Columbia-High Sports, the No. 1-ranked team in the world last season. "We had a great time last year with good success (four stage wins and second place overall). We look to come back and do the same again this year. The race is very well organized and the people of Missouri were extremely welcoming and enthusiastic about the racing."
Liquigas, an entrant into last year's race, is one of Italy's top teams and last year was led by Czech Republic's Roman Kreuziger, who won the Best Young Rider jersey.
The Cervelo Test Team will be a first-time entrant into the Tour of Missouri. Cervelo's team features 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre, top Norwegian sprinter Thor Hushovd, who already has won a stage of the Amgen Tour of California and Het Volk event this year, and Dominique Rollin, who finished third overall in the 2007 Tour of Missouri and won the Michelob ULTRA King of the Mountain jersey last year.
Race rosters will not be announced until next August, but team directors are already talking about sending many of their top stars, said Aronhalt.
The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trial (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (Ste. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
The overall mileage for the course is expected to be more than 600 miles.
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling. The upgrade will guarantee more top teams. Additional teams will be announced in coming weeks.
The Tour of Missouri's premier sponsors to date are Missouri Tourism, Missouri Farm Bureau of Jefferson City, Drury Hotels and Edward Jones, both of St. Louis.
Visit www.tourofmissouri.com for full event details.
RACE CONTACTS:
Priscilla Visintine, (314) 422-5646 or
Steve Brunner, (719) 322-7022
STAGE CONTACT:
Gary McElyea, State of Missouri, (573) 751-1088
John Cable with Triangle Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc. presented the findings of an environmental study conducted at Busy Bee Laundry located at 103 East 14th Street next to Schuman Park at the Feb. 17 City Council meeting.
Cable said he would like to reassure the public that the discovered contamination area does not pose any threat to Park users in Schuman Park. He also said the area does not pose an immediate threat to any Rolla municipal wells, nor a threat to waters of Frisco Lake. The lake is between three to five feet deep, and located in Schuman Park.
The soil contamination was originally discovered on the Busy Bee Laundry property in April 2008 during a Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) conducted by Environmental Works. During the ESA, a Volatile Organic Compound (spot cleaner) was discovered, in the soil, in excess of Missouri Department of Natural Resources default target levels.
An additional Phase II ESA conducted by Triangle Environmental discovered groundwater contamination in an addition to the soil. Cable said decades ago it was not uncommon for dry cleaning businesses to dispose of spot cleaner down the drain. The Busy Bee's sewer laterals were clay pipe, (PVC pipes have now been installed). In decades past clay pipe was commonly used, was easily fractured, and commonly leaked. The leaking of the pipe caused a groundwater contamination plume.
The noted soil contamination was localized to Busy Bee property. Three monitoring wells placed around the contamination area by Triangle Environmental detected groundwater contamination in the bedrock at depths from 15 to 30 feet.
Cable said the groundwater contamination plume has not been defined, but it appears to extend beyond the monitoring well in Schuman Park. As part of his work plan for this project, Cable said Triangle Environmental will install 4 additional bedrock monitoring wells to define the extent of the shallow bedrock aquifer contamination; determine the size and extent of the contamination plume; monitor the plume/plume stability for one year; and perform a risk-based correction action report.
The Busy Bee property is eligible for the Dry Cleaners Environmental Response Trust (DERT) provided through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which consists of up to $1 million in coverage.
Cable said while the ground water contamination is limited to depths of 15 to 30 feet, the City's closest Municipal wells are over 1,100 feet deep.
Questions regarding this occurrence can be directed to John Cable at Triangle Environmental Science and Engineering, Inc. at 308-0140 or Ken Kwantes, the City's Director of Parks and Recreation, at 364-4278.
On behalf of the Rolla City Council, city staff and residents, welcome to Rolla, Missouri!
Whether you are relocating from another area, just passing through, or thinking about making Rolla your home, we're thrilled you're here.
Located at the intersection of I-44 and State Highway 63 just 30 miles east of Fort Leonard Wood, Rolla is one of the most unique, balanced and livable communities in Missouri. Ranked as one of the top 100 towns to live in the United State, Rolla is truly a special community.
Friendliness, clean air, breathtaking sunsets and unspoiled scenic beauty is something you'll find a lot of here, along with outstanding educational opportunities, cutting-edge research, business and industrial development, unique dining venues, abundant lodging, numerous bike and pedestrian trails and big town amenities. What you won't find are traffic jams, high crime rates, pollution and the congestion associated with larger metropolitan areas.
Nationally ranked blue-ribbon schools, one of the nation's leading technological universities (Missouri University of Science and Technology), world-class cultural events, a vibrant and historic downtown, and an outstanding parks and recreation system, are just some of the hallmarks of our city. A new Historic Walking Tour of Rolla, consisting of 37 historic signs in the City's downtown business district, is a great way to experience Rolla's history, hospitality and home-town warmth.
Rolla also has one of the most state-of-the-art recreation facilities in the country. The Centre – a 63,000-square-foot health and recreation complex, offers everything from a 4,000-square-foot fitness center, to an amazing Aquatic Center, two gymnasiums, indoor walking track and recreational programs for everyone. During the summer months SplashZone water park and the Ber Juan Tennis Complex are additional attractions for families and visitors looking for summer fun.
While some refer to Rolla as the foothills to the Ozarks – in particular the 1.3-million-acre Mark Twain National Forest – there is more to Rolla than our abundant wildlife, hiking/biking trails, world-renown trout fishing and highly sought after recreational opportunities on the Gasconade, Little Piney and Maramec Rivers.
In Rolla, we enjoy a high quality of life with a relatively low cost of living. Housing costs are much lower than the rest of the country, yet we enjoy the amenities found in much larger metropolitan areas. We also offer a wide range of new and existing quality homes.
Phelps County, of which Rolla is the county seat, includes such diverse industries as Brewer Science, Inc. and Missouri Science, (located in HyPoint Industrial Park), the USGS, Royal Canin USA, CANTEX, Department of Natural Resources, Mark Twain National Forest Headquarters, and Phelps County Regional Medical Center (PCRMC).
High quality medical facilities at PCRMC, St. John's Clinic and the Bond Clinic, together with an abundance of cultural opportunities at Leach Theatre, (a 650-seat theatre in the Castleman Hall Performing Arts Center), Ozark Actors Theatre and Arts Rolla, are additional reasons Rolla is such a desirable place to live, work and visit.
Enjoy your stay! We're glad you're here!
Sincerely,
William S. Jenks, III
Mayor
(Mon., Sept. 7, Labor Day) - Stage 1 / St. Louis / Circuit Race
A flat urban circuit race through the heart of Missouri's largest metropolitan area. St. Louis has hosted two overall finishes and now will host the start for the first time.
(Tues., Sept. 8) - Stage 2 / St. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau / Road Race
Starting in the southeastern wine country, St. Genevieve will play host to its first stage of the Tour. The city is the oldest settlement west of the Mississippi. Cape Girardeau, the sixth largest city in the state, plays host to its first stage of the Tour. Terrain is rolling hills near the Mississippi River.
(Wed., Sept. 9) - Stage 3 / Farmington to Rolla / Road Race
The agricultural community of Farmington plays host to its first stage of the Tour. The course will route through some of the hilliest spots of Missouri and through the Mark Twain National Forest en route to Rolla, which played host to a stage of the tour in 2008. Riders will face longer and tougher climbs on this route than in any previous Tour of Missouri.
(Thurs, Sept. 10) - Stage 4 / St. James to Jefferson City / Road Race
In a re-make of Stage 5 of last year's race, riders will roll out of St. James in the central wine region en route to the state's capital in Jefferson City. Jefferson City has played host to a start in 2007 and a finish in 2008. The terrain is rolling.
(Frid, Sept. 11) - Stage 5 / Sedalia / Individual Time Trial
The Tour makes its first stop in the agricultural hub of Sedalia, which also annually plays host to the Missouri State Fair. Cyclists will race against the clock in what is expected to be a mostly flat course.
(Sat., Sept. 12) - Stage 6 / Chillicothe to St. Joseph / Road Race
The small town of Chillicothe will play host to its first stage as cyclists will face a moderately flat start while moving into short steep hills toward the finish at St. Joseph. Chillicothe is the home of ‘sliced' bread. St. Joseph, the fifth largest city in the state, will play host to its first tour finish after playing host to the overall start last year.
(Sun., Sept. 13) Stage 7 / Kansas City / Circuit Race
Kansas City has played host to the finish of the first stage the past two years, and hosted teams longer than any other with two years of pre-event activities. Roles reverse as Kansas City become the overall finish of the 2009 Tour. Like St. Louis on the front end, a spectator friendly circuit race is expected. The circuit, however, could feature several of the noted short steep or long gradual hills in Missouri's largest city.
The City of Rolla is among 11 cities in the Show Me State to be selected as a Host City for the third edition of the Tour of Missouri, an elite, point-to-point international professional cycling stage race to be held Sept. 7-13, 2009. The official announcement was made Jan. 27 by Lt. Governor Peter Kinder at a press conference in Jefferson City.
The following Missouri cities will play host to a leg of the Tour: St. Louis, St. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Farmington, Rolla, St. James, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Chillocothe, St. Joseph and Kansas City.
Lt. Governor Kinder said 32 communities – a record number – submitted bids to host a leg of the Tour. The overall course will take on a very different slant in 2009. For the first time, the race will route east to west, starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis. The past two years, the race routed west to east starting in Kansas City to finish in St. Louis.
The City of Rolla will host a Stage 3 Finish, which will begin in Farmington, on Wednesday, Sept. 9. The course will route through some of the hilliest spots in Missouri and through the Mark Twain National forest en route to Rolla, which played host to a stage of the Tour in 2008. Riders will face longer and tougher climbs on this route than in any previous Tour of Missouri. The City of St. James, located 8 miles east of Rolla, will host a Stage 4 Start on Thursday, Sept. 10, which will culminate in Jefferson City, Missouri's State capitol.
"The City of Rolla is once again honored and thrilled to be a host finish for the Tour of Missouri," said Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III. "Placing our community on the world's stage and recognizing the impact of this international event is an incredible opportunity. Our community truly embraced the race, the riders and spectators last year and looking forward to making an even greater impression this year."
Scott Caron, Chair of Rolla's Tour of Missouri, Local Organizing Committee, said during the Jan. 27 press conference via teleconference that playing host to the Tour of Missouri in 2008 was quite an experience for all involved.
"To have Christian Vande Velde compare last year's stage into Rolla to one of the Tour de France is something special," Caron said. "Being able to go through this once again is just as exciting, if not more. This event brought the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus and community together, and demonstrated why Rolla is such a tremendous place to live."
The race will be contested over seven days and seven stages. There will be two circuit races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trail (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (St. Louis, Kansas City), one individual time trail (Sedalia), and four point to point road races (St. Genevieve to Cape Girardeau; Farmington to Rolla; St. James to Jefferson City; Chillicothe to St. Joseph).
"I like what they've done," said 2008 Tour of Missouri champion Christian Vande Velde, an American who also finished fourth overall at last year's Tour de France. "It's a totally different race course and it looks like they've added some challenging terrain. Last year's race was very fast and tougher than it looked on paper. I look forward to coming back with my Garmin teammates to defend my title."
The overall mileage for the course is expected to be more than 600 miles. Vande Velde and his team Garmin-Slipstream is the first announced team. More teams will be announced in the spring.
Though a stellar world-class field was presented last year, the three-year-old race is expected to be even better as the Tour of Missouri was granted an upgrade to one of the top five-ranked events outside Europe by international and national federation's for cycling last month. The upgrade will likely draw more pro tour teams to the event, which featured three last year in Garmin, Columbia and Liquigas.
Also announced was a partnership between the Tour of Missouri and The Gateway Cup in St. Louis, the largest amateur cycling event for road cycling in the country. The Gateway Cup will feature four days of racing by more than 1,100 competitive amateur cyclists. These four days of racing will lead into the Tour of Missouri women's professional criterion, and culminate with the professional men's event.
The Tour of Missouri also announced the premier sponsorships of Farm Bureau of Jefferson City, Emerson of St. Louis as well as founding partners Drury Hotels and Edward Jones, both of St. Louis.
"It is a testament to the success of this event, as well as to the value it brings to sponsors, to name these outstanding Missouri companies and entities which are renewing their support for the Tour," said Lt. Governor Kinder. "Since the inaugural race in 2007, this event has consistently delivered a positive impact to Missouri, and invaluable recognition throughout the state, country and the world to our sponsors."
Last year, the event drew more than 435,000 spectators over seven days. Missouri Tourism noted an direct and indirect economic impact of almost $30 million to the state. The event is sanctioned by USA Cycling, the national federation for cycling in the U.S., and the Union Cycliste Internationale, the international governing body for the sport of cycling.
This high-profile, highly publicized event will give the residents of the 11 host cities a rare opportunity to see some of the world's best professional cyclists in their own backyards. And attending the event is free to the public; an added benefit to those in our area who have never had the opportunity to see an international pro cycling event such as the Tour de France, Tour of Italy, or Amgen Tour of California.
For more information regarding this year's Tour of Missouri, please visit the official Tour of Missouri Website at www.tourofmissouri.com.
The Rolla Police Department and Special Olympics – Missouri recently announced that the 2009 Law Enforcement Torch Run Campaign is in full swing and will begin the season with the annual T-shirt sale.
The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a unique project that partners law enforcement with Special Olympics. Throughout the year agencies raise funds in a variety of ways, but the majority sell the Torch Run T-shirts. The Rolla Police Department became involved in the Torch Run Campaign in the mid-1980s and has been a Torch Club member since 1993. The Torch Club is comprised of law enforcement agencies that raise over $1,000 throughout the year for the Special Olympic athletes. The members are rewarded by posting the agencies name on the back of the T-shirts each year.
The Rolla Police Department progressed from selling T-shirts and running in the Torch Run to adding new events each year such as the Trivia Night, Fire Truck Pull, Rt. 66 Motorcycle Classic, Polar Plunge and Polar Strut, Cop on Top and the ROLLA RALLY. Over the years the Rolla Police Department has risen over $150,000 for our Special Olympic athletes and with the 2009 campaign will continue this honored tradition.
This year the new T-shirts are athletic gray with a Freedom Eagle holding Olympic medals in its talons depicted on the front of the shirt. The shirts are offered in both long and short sleeve and come in a variety of sizes. The price of the T-shirts this year is $10 for the short sleeve and $15 for the long sleeve. To purchase a T-shirt, please contact Staff Sgt. Rick Williams at (573) 364-1213 or email: rickwilliams@rollacity.org .
Thank you for helping us help the athletes.
Royal Canin USA, located on Bridge School Road in Rolla, donated one free truck-load (1,500 pounds) of dog food on Tuesday, Dec. 30 to the Rolla Animal Shelter located at 1915 Sharp Road in Rolla.
(Pictured at the Royal Canin warehouse are (l to r): Roy Taylor, Animal Control Officer; Randy Skasick and Jerald Welch, Royal Canin USA; Abby Vance, volunteer at the Rolla Animal Shelter and Inge Wilson, Animal Control Manager. Not pictured is Abby's mother, Kim Vance, who also volunteers at the Shelter with her daughter.)
"Thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of Royal Canin USA, the Rolla Animal Shelter has enough dog food to last us through the winter months," said Inge Wilson, Animal Control Manager. "This donation is in addition to the three free truck-loads they donated to us in Spring 2008, and I can't thank them enough for their generous support of the Rolla Animal Shelter."
Wilson reports that in 2007 alone the Rolla Animal Shelter took in 941 dogs and 534 cats. They also relocated 153 different species of wildlife to their natural habitats. In addition, the shelter adopted out 589 animals and reunited 240 animals with their owners.
For questions or more information, please call the Rolla Animal Shelter at (573) 364-6995 or visit www.rollacity.org.
Rolla Channel 6, Rolla's premiere Education and Government channel, is now airing Rolla City Council meetings on a regular basis. In addition to airing the City Council meetings live the first and third Monday of the month (at 6:30 p.m.), RC6 also re-airs the meetings throughout the week. Planning and Zoning (P&Z) meetings, usually held the second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. are also aired live on RC6.
RC6 also airs Rolla Public Schools board meetings live. These meetings re-air throughout the week as well. The schedule for re-airing Rolla City Council meetings, P&Z meetings, Rolla Public Schools board meetings and Rolla High School home basketball games are posted on the RC6 program guide.
Other pre-produced programs 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, 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. 
(Pictured during the filming of the Rolla Christmas Parade on Dec. 6, 2008 are RC6 Video Production Manager Gabe Mankin, (center) and RC6 crew members Daniel Galarza, left, and Kile Crews, 9th graders who attend Rolla Junior High School).
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.
After months of extensive research Outdoor Life magazine has included Rolla, Missouri in a list among the top 200 towns for hunting and fishing in America.
Rolla, which is located in the 1.3 million-acre Mark Twain National Forest, in the Maramec Valley region of the Ozarks, was ranked number #74 and included among such notable cities as Durango, Colorado; Grand Junction, Colorado; Grants Pass, Oregon; Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Fairbanks, Alaska; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Helena, Montana.
Mountain Home, Arkansas topped the list at number one, followed by Lewiston, Idaho (#2) and Sheridan, Wyoming in the number 3 slot. Other Missouri cities that made the list include: Boonville (#22), Kirksville, (#53), Springfield (#129) and West Plains (#151).
The Outdoor Life Website at http://www.outdoorlife.com/article_gallery/Paradise-Found says that the Top 200 list is about moving to "places where life seems simpler, the people friendlier and where the economy is nourished by postcard-perfect vistas."
The Website article goes on to state that "Outdoor Life has evaluated towns across America to find the places that offer world-class hunting and fishing, easy access to public land and water and vibrant economies that remain affordable and hospitable."
If you would like to comment on this article, please visit the City of Rolla's BLOG.
The new 2009 color aerial photo of the Rolla area is available for purchase at the GIS/Mapping Office located in the Public Works Department at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street).
The aerial was flown on Feb. 10, 2009 and is available on 42- x 52-inch photo quality gloss paper. The price is $20 per print.
For more information, or to place your order for an aerial photo of Rolla, please call (573) 364-8659, or stop by City Hall anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In an effort to encourage residents to provide additional input and feedback on the three Rolla West Master Plan alternatives proposed at the recent Rolla West Master Plan workshops, the City of Rolla has established a blog at http://rollacity.blogspot.com.
The three Rolla West Master Plan alternatives and an article explaining the proposed multi-phased, multi-year project can be viewed on the blog and on the City's Website at www.rollacity.org.
The comments and suggestions posted on the City's blog have been considered in the finalized Rolla West Master Plan, which was presented by HNTB Corporation at the Sept. 2, 08 City Council meeting.
For additional information or to provide input regarding the Rolla West Master Plan, please call Steve Hargis, Director of Public Works, at (573) 364-8659 or visit the City's Website at www.rollacity.org.
In an effort to prevent crime, the Rolla Police Department would like to make the public aware of the following information:
Recently, the Division of Criminal Investigation was contacted and informed by a neighboring law enforcement agency about a fraud. Several business owners within their jurisdiction were victimized and each defrauded of hundreds of dollars after purchasing advertising. The scheme began when individual business owners were approached by a sales person who solicited the sale of table top advertising. The agreement was to place the victim's business ad onto table tops to be displayed in local restaurants. The victim paid several hundreds of dollars for ads but would later discover that the sales person would never fulfill their obligation.
Problematic of the investigation of this type of fraud is the time that lapses. By the time the victim reports this to the police, several months to a year may have gone by. Over time, the victim slowly becomes aware that they have been defrauded when calls to the sales person are not returned or only answered with excuses.
To reduce the chance of falling victim to a fraud, people can check on the reputation of a business or company. Ask for references of past customers. Organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Attorney General's Office, or the local government licensing department may provide information on individuals or businesses who have received prior complaints.
Additional information about fraud and ways to prevent it can be found at the Missouri Attorney General's website at
http://ago.mo.gov/consumercomplaint.htm
If you have additional information pertaining to this case please call the Rolla Police Department at (573) 364-1213 or the Rolla Police Department's confidential tip hotline at (573) 364-0111.
Rolla residents who have household hazardous waste materials such as car batteries, used oil or antifreeze, or other toxic, poisonous or flammable products will now be able to dispose of them free of charge at the City's newly constructed Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
The facility, which was funded through a $6,900 grant awarded to the City by the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, will be operated by the City's Solid Waste Department at the Rolla Recycling Center located off Old St. James Road. Access to the Household Hazardous Waste facility can be made via McCutchen Road at the back entrance to the Recycling Center. (Pictured at the new HHW Facility are Brady Wilson, Director of Environmental Services, left, and Cliff Keasling, Crew Leader, Sanitation Division).
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. When you call, please be prepared to describe the types of materials and quantity of each that you wish to drop off so that our staff at the Recycling Center can make arrangements to receive and properly store your materials at the facility.
A substance is considered hazardous when it contains ingredients or a combination of ingredients that can be harmful to the environment and/or human health. HHW products may ignite easily, react or explode when mixed with other substances, or may be corrosive, toxic or poisonous. There will be a limit of 30 gallons of liquids per household per visit. For a complete list of items that will be acceptable to drop off at the facility, please contact the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693 or visit the City's Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.
The new Household Hazardous Waste facility will be 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.
Mayor Bill Jenks, III extends his sincere thanks and appreciation to all the organizations, businesses and entities who made this free service possible, including Brewer Science, Inc., the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Ozark rivers Solid Waste Management District, the Phelps County Landfill Board, the Rolla City Council and Brady Wilson, Director of Environmental Services and his department.
The new HHW facility will replace the very successful one-day collections that were co-hosted by Brewer Science and the City of Rolla at Brewer Science, which is located in the HyPoint Industrial Park east of I-44 in Rolla.
"This new HHW facility will result in a major improvement in services for the residents of the region at no additional cost," said Mayor Jenks. "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."
Wilson said the new facility will be one of the most important and effective steps the City can take to preserve our environment, eliminate pollution, and further safeguard our ground water supplies and wastewater treatment system.
Wilson also said the City is tentatively planning, along with Brewer Science and the Solid Waste District, to have a special waste collection for difficult to dispose of items such as tires, electronics and appliances sometime in the spring. More information regarding the date, times and location of this event will be announced at a later date and available on the City's Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.
Let us know what you think about the 10 year CIP. You can either print out this PDF version of the survey and fax it back to us at 426-6947, or you can fill out this Microsoft Excel version of the survey and email it to City Hall at admin@rollacity.org
What would we like to see the Rolla area look like in the next 10 years? That question was at the center of a productive two-hour discussion among Rolla City Council members and City staff who during a City Council Workshop/Retreat Oct. 29 to begin the strategic planning process for the City's preliminary 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan (Large file warning: ~27 mb).
The purpose of the workshop, which was facilitated by Richard Cavender, Executive Director of the Maramec Regional Planning Commission, and City Administrator John Butz, was to review both the funded and unfunded projects included in the City's preliminary 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) while engaging City Council and Department Directors in a visioning process that will establish the foundation and ground work for this important strategic planning document.
In addition to the thought and effort that City staff devoted to the development of the preliminary 10-Year CIP, considerable input was received from members of City Council and City staff regarding the road map that will be used as a guide to navigate our City and community over the next 10 years.
Of all the documents, including the recently adopted Rolla 20-20 Comprehensive Plan, the City's 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan is right at the top in terms of prioritization of projects, goal setting, vision setting and meeting the most significant challenges our community is facing and will face in the next 10 years.
Many of the ideas and projects discussed at the Oct. 29 Workshop are critical issues facing our community such as infrastructure improvements, transportation enhancements, economic development and expansion, enhancing the City's image, and solidifying the Rolla/Phelps County area as a regional hub for not only transportation, technology, education, health/medical care, recreation, and outdoor activities, but also the retail and high tech industry.
Also ranking high on the priority list during the strategic planning session were the need to project a more prosperous, successful, business friendly, and attractive image (i.e., property maintenance, the City's gateway entrances, etc.), to developers, businesses and individuals interested in locating in the Rolla area. Attracting both high tech and light manufacturing/industrial businesses and jobs was also ranked high, as was positioning the City as a sustainable and healthy (i.e., ample fitness and recreational opportunities), community.
With the input and priority setting data provided by City Council and staff, revisions are currently being made to the preliminary 10-Year CIP. A copy of the Tentative Development Schedule outlining the 10-Year CIP planning and public input process can be viewed here.
A critical component of the 10-Year CIP will of course be community and public input, which will be achieved through a series of Ward/Public meetings, public hearings and the ETC Leisure Vision Citizen Attitude (Direction Finder) Survey, which will be discussed and announced in the weeks and months ahead.
With continued input and feedback from both the Rolla City Council, City staff and members of the Rolla community, that the 2008 10-Year CIP will be both an effective and flexible strategic planning document that will serve our community well for the next 10 years.
More than 150 Residents from the Ridgeview neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods attended a public meeting Oct. 25 hosted by the City of Rolla and Missouri Department of Transportation regarding the proposed Hwy. 72 extension.
The purpose of the meeting was to provide information and gather feedback on the proposed Highway 72 Extension project between I-44 and U.S. Highway 63 in Rolla.
Draft concept plans (large PDF ~ 4.0mb) for the future Hwy. 72 extension were on display, and representatives from MoDOT, the City of Rolla, and the consulting firm HNTB were available to answer questions and gather input.
If you did not have an opportunity to attend the meeting on Oct. 25, the City of Rolla is accepting public comments regarding the proposed Hwy. 72 Extension through Nov. 9.
Comments regarding the proposed Hwy. 72 Extension can be sent to Steve Hargis, Director of Public Works, at 573-364-8659/ shargis@rollacity.org, or at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street, Rolla, MO 65401.
Initial reports in the media and on the Internet of the missing 13-year-old Philadelphia girl named Ashley Flores have proven to be nothing more than a very bad hoax, according to numerous law enforcement agencies and credible news outlets.
Despite conclusive evidence that the original missing person report and Amber Alert regarding Ashley Flores was a hoax concocted by a kid's prank, the Rolla Police Department still receives hundreds of calls every day regarding her status.
A variety of searches through law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations, New Jersey State Police and Philadelphia Police, and numerous missing child websites such as The Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), confirms there has never been an official report of a missing girl named Ashley Flores.
The Rolla Police Department is trying to spread the word that although Ashley Flores may exist, reports of her disappearance were an unfortunate internet hoax. Pranks such as these are not only illegal, but also hamper and interfere with communications and law enforcement operations.
For more information, please go here or call Lt. Doug James at 573-364-1213
Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III and the Rolla City Council encourage Rolla Municipal Utility customers to participate in the "Helping Hand" program that has been sponsored by RMU for several years to provide assistance for Rolla residents who need help in paying their utility bills.
"I have already pledged $2 a month for the "Helping Hand" program where 100% of your donations are returned to the Rolla Community through the G.R.A.C.E. organization," said Mayor Jenks. "I'm aware of at least one other City Council member who has publicly pledged $1 per month to go towards the 'Helping Hand' program as well."
RMU collects, on a voluntary basis, donations for the "Helping Hand" program with 100% of your donations returned to the Rolla Community through the Greater Rolla Area Charitable Enterprises organization. In 2006, GRACE, through the "Helping Hand" program, disbursed 72 payments, helping 240 Rolla residents.
Mayor Jenks said if 3,000 of the approximately 8,000 RMU customers in Rolla were to voluntarily pledge $1 per month towards the Helping Hand program, $36,000 could be raised in 12 months.
"The great aspect of this program is that it's 100% voluntary, and it is not using tax dollars in any way," said Mayor Jenks. "This is a great vehicle to assist those who are having difficulty paying their utility bills and I encourage anyone who can afford to pledge $1 or more to participate in Helping Hand."
Enrollment forms and a copy of the Helping Hand policy are available at the RMU Business Office on 9th Street in downtown Rolla. You may also contact RMU at 364-1572 or visit their Website at www.rollamunicipalutilities.org. Just click on the 'Customer Service' tab and 'Helping Hand' link.
In addition to the vast network of spacious parks that enhance the quality of life in Rolla, the ACORN Trail also provides miles of pedestrian/bike paths that are enjoyed year round.
Adults and children of all ages enjoy walking, biking, roller blading or taking their pets for a casual stroll on this 9.2 mile-long trail that currently connects to 9 City parks. If you love the outdoors, nature and serenity, you will love the ACORN Trail and all the wildlife, scenic beauty and enjoyment it provides.
The majority of the trail was funded over the years through several Inter modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) and Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) grants form the Missouri Department of Transportation.
The first phase, completed in 1997, consisted of the installation of approximately 1.6 miles of sidewalk form the Visitor Center on Bridge School Road to and around the University of Missouri-Rolla Golf Course. The second phase, completed in 2000, saw the addition of another 2 miles of eight-foot sidewalk form Green Acres Park to Highway 72 along the Deuteron Carter Creek and included a pedestrian footbridge, wildlife food plots, an interpretive forest, and off street parking. The third phase of the project, completed in 2002, consisted of the construction of approximately 3.9 miles of sidewalk connecting the previously constructed phases I and II, creating a 7.5 mile long walking/biking facility. A series of five-foot walks were built through the urbanized portions of the community.
Phase IV, a 0.95 mile stretch of sidewalk completed in 2003, connects the southeast portion of town to the previous three phases of the bikepath and runs southeasterly along Highway 72 to Osage Drive. Phase V, which is the construction/contract phase, will run east from the intersection of Tenth Street and Forum Drive along the south side of Tenth to its intersection with Lovers Lane. This fifth phase is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2007, and will add an additional .75 miles of eight-foot walk, for a total of 9.2 miles.
Beginning in late 2007 or early 2008, the next phase will be an 8-foot-wide bike path that will run from Highway O to Sycamore Drive (the trail head of the ACORN Trail), along Deible Branch and parallel with Lions Club Drive. It will run west to Lions Club Park for 1.7 miles, bringing the total length of the trail to 11 miles.
Future phases will include another 1.6 miles running north through Lions Club Park and eventually tie into the west trail head of the ACORN Trail at Green Acres Park. These future phases, which the City hopes to fund through future TEAA 21 Grants, will need documented support form the community to enhance the City's ability to compete for future funding with other communities.
Anyone interested in providing a letter of support for this worthwhile project should contact Steve Hargis, Public Works Director, at 573-364-8659 or e-mail him at shargis@rollacity.org. Letters of support can also be e-mailed; faxed to 573-364-8602 or mailed to the City of Rolla Public Works Department, 901 North Elm Street, Rolla, MO 65401.