Public Safety Director's Spotlight - Prevent Poisoning

No plans for this weekend? Lots of fun activities scheduled in St. Louis City neighborhoods

March 29, 2013 | 6 min reading time

This article is 12 years old. It was published on March 29, 2013.

Charlene Deeken, Director of Public Safety
Photo by Cathy Smentkowski Title: Portrait of Charlene Deeken, Director of Public Safety
Source: Cathy Smentkowski

 

Tips to Prevent Poisoning

 According to the USA.gov Team, every day, 87 people in the U.S. die as a result of unintentional poisoning, and more than 2,200 are treated in emergency rooms.  Most of these poisonings occur in people's homes.  Below are some helpful tips to ensure your safety and the safety of your loved ones:
  • Never take larger or more frequent doses of your medications to try to get faster or more powerful effects.
  • Turn on a light when you give or take medicines at night so that you know you have the right medicine and the correct amount.
  • Keep medicines and chemicals in their original bottles or containers.
  • To keep young children safe, store all medicines and household products up and out of sight and reach.
  • Secure the child safety cap every time you use a medicine.
  • Do not refer to medicine as "candy."
If a poison victim has collapsed or isn't breathing, call 9-1-1.  If the victim is awake and alert, call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222. I encourage you to add the Poison Help line number to the contacts in your cell phone.

 

Upcoming Events

March 29 -- Friday Pipe Organ Concerts, third Baptist Church, 12:30 p.m.

Do you enjoy the rich sounds of a pipe organ?  If so, then you need to know that each Friday at 12:30 p.m. a free Pipe Organ Concert is held at Third Baptist Church, located at 620 N. Grand Boulevard in the Covenant Blu / GrandCenter neighborhood.  Third Baptist's recently restored 71-rank Kilgen/Moller organ is played by either church organist Brent Johnson or by another local organist.  For the complete schedule, visit the third-baptist-organ.org web site.

March 30 -- Community Easter Egg Hunt, Tower Grove Baptist Church, 10 a.m.

Tower Grove Baptist Church will hold a Community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday at the Church located at 4257 Magnolia in the Shaw neighborhood.  The Hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Other activities will include crafts, Bounce House, face painting, free giveaways, pictures with the Easter Bunny and more! Questions? Call (314) 865-HOPE or visit the towergrove.org web site.

 

March 30 – Easter Egg Hunt, Soulard Farmer's Market – Plaza Area, 1 p.m.

Another "egg-cellent" event this Saturday will be the Easter Egg Hunt at Soulard Farmer's Market.  The Hunt will begin at 1 p.m. sharp at the Farmer's Market Plaza Area on Lafayette Street at 8th Street.  No pre-registration is required. Visitors are encouraged to bring a camera to take pictures with the Easter Bunny from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  For more details, visit the SoulardMarketSTL.com web site.  

March 30 -- Easter Egg Hunt, Tilles Park, 10 a.m.

The Tilles Park Neighborhood Association will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt in Tilles Park this Saturday beginning at 10 a.m.  the Park is located at Jamieson and Marquette in the North Hampton neighborhood.  For all the particulars, visit the tillesparkneighborhood.com web site.

March 31 – March Family Sundays, St. Louis Art Museum, 1 p.m.

Each Sunday of the month the St. Louis Art Museum in beautiful Forest Park hosts its Family Sundays event from 1 – 4 p.m.  The theme for March is Art of the Ancient World.  Visitors to the museum will be able to explore the collection of objects from Ancient Rome and then take part in art-making activities based on the countries and cultures that made up the Roman Empire.  A Family Tour of the museum will depart at 2:30 p.m.  For more information, visit the slam.org web site.

April 1 & 2 – Auditions, Regional Arts Commission, 7 p.m.

Calling all thespians!  St. Louis Shakespeare will hold auditions on Monday and Tuesday, April 1 and 2, for summer productions of Timon of Athens and Two Noble Kinsmen, the first two productions of its 29th season.  Auditions are by appointment only from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, located at 6128 Delmar Boulevard in the Skinker / DeBaliviere neighborhood.  Participants should prepare a 1-2 minute monologue from any Shakespeare play and bring a photo and resume.  To schedule an audition, call (314) 361-5664 or visit the stlshakespeare.org web site.

April 6 – How to Be a Successful Landlord, St. Louis Community College, 9 a.m.

Do you own rental property?  If so, then you may want to consider attending the session on How to Be a Successful Landlord that will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Louis Community College – Forest Park, 5600 Oakland Avenue in the Cheltenham neighborhood on Saturday, April 6.  Landlords can lower property damages and eviction costs by performing effective initial screening of potential tenants.  Participants will learn how to be creative and to use the telephone, interview, computer, rental application and lease expectations to ensure a pleasant tenant-landlord relationship.  The cost is $55 per person.  For registration information, call (314) 984-7777.

April 6 -- Trivia Night, Five Star Senior Center, 6 p.m.

Calling all trivia buffs!  The Five Star Senior Center will hold a Trivia Night fundraiser on Saturday, April 6 at the Center located at 2832 Arsenal Street in the Benton Park West neighborhood. The doors will open at 6 p.m. and the trivia will begin at 7 p.m. Admission is $20 per individual or $140 for a table of 8 (max). The price will include soda, beer, water, and light snacks. To register, call (314) 664-1008.

April 6 -- Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard Charitable Foundation Trivia Night, IBEW Local 1, 7 p.m.

The Sandberg Phoenix & von Gontard Charitable Foundation will hold a trivia night on Saturday, April 6 to benefit the Center for Hearing and Speech, Ronald McDonald Charities of St. Louis and Wilderwood Service Dogs. The doors at IBEW Local 1 will open at 6:15 p.m. and trivia will begin at 7 p.m. The cost is $20 per person or $160 for a table of 8 and includes three complementary drink tickets. The hall is located at 5840 Elizabeth on The Hill.To reserve your table, call (314) 446-4225.

April 5, 6 & 7 -- Go! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, Forest Park & Downtown, 7 a.m.

It's not too late to register for the Go! St. Louis Marathon which will take place Sunday, April 7 in Downtown St. Louis.  Participants are invited to attend the Family Fitness Expo that will take place on Friday & Saturday, April 5 & 6 at Chaifetz Arena, 1 S. Compton Avenue.  To register for the marathon, half marathon, marathon relay, 5K run/walk, children's fun runs or the mature mile, visit the gostlouis.org web site.

April 7 – Holly Hills Safety Expo, Rec Plex in Carondelet Park, 1 p.m.

The Holly Hills Improvement Association is inviting everyone to stop by the Holly Hills Safety Expo on Sunday, April 7 at the Carondelet Park Rec Plex, 930 Holly Hills Drive.  Visitors will have access to a variety of safety-related resources for residents and businesses, including gun locks from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, free smoke detector sign-up with the St. Louis Fire Department, vendors from alarm companies and glass block companies and more.  The free event will run from 1 – 3 p.m. To learn more, visit the hollyhills.info web site.

 

Save the Date

 

April 2 -- Election Day

April 5 -- Arbor Day Tree Giveaway, Missouri Botanical Garden, 9 a.m.

April 6 - Sprint for Skin Cancer 5K Run & 3K Walk, Tower Grove Park, 9 a.m.

April 6 -- Water Tower Daytime Public Opening, Compton Hill Water Tower, Noon

April 6 -- Downtown Architecture Walking Tours - West, St. Louis Union Station, 10 a.m.

April 7 -- Hard Rock Rising THE Global Battle of the Bands / Final Battle, Hard Rock Cafe-St. Louis Union Station, 4 p.m.

 

Promoting Your Neighborhood Activities


Is there a neighborhood event on the schedule that you would like noted in the Spotlight? If so, you may email the information about it to me at deekenc@stlouis-mo.gov or to Cathy Smentkowski at smentkowskic@stlouis-mo.gov for consideration. You may also post it on the City's Calendar of Events on the City's web site:  http://stlouis-mo.gov.  The link to submit an event is on the home page. The listing is free. I encourage you to take advantage of this free way to promote your event.

 

Brightside St. Louis Blitz 2013

Project Blitz, Brightside's annual campaign to clean up city neighborhoods, will begin the weekend of April 6 and 7 in the Region 2 North and Region 2 South areas and will continue through the weekends of April at specified locations, concluding on the weekend of Mar 4 and 5.  the boundaries for Region 2 North are:  Palm & Natural Bridge on the north; Mississippi River on the east; I-64 & MetroLink on the south; and Taylor on the west.  The boundaries for Region 2 South are:  I-64 on the north; Mississippi River on the east; Meramec on the south; and Grand on the west.  For more information and to learn how you can join your neighbors to clean up the streets, alleys and vacant lots in your neighborhood, visit the brightsidestlouis.org web site or call (314) 772-4646.

 

Charlene Deeken
Director of Public Safety
City of St. Louis

 

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Related Services

  1. Apply for a Blocking Right of Way Permit Blocking Right of Way Permits are required for any activity that will block any portion of the street or sidewalk such as dumpster placement, moving truck, construction related street closures.
  2. Submit A Community Event to the Event Calendar Add your community or neighborhood event to the City's Event Calendar.
  3. Apply for a Special Event Permit Outlines the process to apply for a permit to hold a small or large event in the City of St. Louis, such as a Street Fair, Outdoor Concert, Parade, Run and/or Walk, Cycling Race, or Ride.
  4. Apply for a Sidewalk Permit A sidewalk permit is required for constructing a new sidewalk or reconstructing an existing sidewalk.
  5. Apply for a Residential Block Closure Permit This permit is required for neighborhood weekend social gatherings, and must be submitted at least two weeks in advance. Formerly known as Residential Block Party.

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