Department of Public Safety

 

Many exciting, educational and fun events are scheduled for this weekend in St. Louis, but before I highlight several of them I want to alert you to the fact that the week of April 4 - 10 is National Public Health Week. The emphasis this year is: Safety is NO Accident, Live Injury-Free. Each day of next week will have a specific safety focus: Monday – At Home, Tuesday – At Work, Wednesday - At Play, Thursday – On the Move, and Friday – In Your Community.

According to the National Public Health Week website, it only takes a moment for an injury to happen. But it also takes just a moment to protect against injuries and make communities safer. Each year, nearly 150,000 people die from injuries, and almost 30 million people are injured seriously enough to go to the emergency room.

Injuries are not "accidents." We can prevent them from happening. Taking actions such as wearing a seatbelt, properly using child safety seats, wearing a helmet and storing cleaning supplies in locked cabinets are important ways to proactively promote safety and prevent injuries.

For Safety Tips and to read more about National Public Health Week, visit the website at http://www.nphw.org/nphw11/tips_home.htm.

 

The month of April is National Fair Housing Month. This year marks the 43rd anniversary of the signing of the Fair Housing Act by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968. Mayor Francis G. Slay issued a proclamation this week declaring that the City of St. Louis is proud to commemorate this anniversary, but also recognizing the existence of still many challenges within the housing and mortgage industries today.

Below are some of the events coming up in St. Louis. I encourage you to stop by and take advantage of all that our great City neighborhoods have to offer. See you in the neighborhood!

Free Outdoor Movie Series Begins

If you enjoy outdoor movies, mark your calendars that the Twilight Under the Train Shed Free Movie Series at Union Station will be held the first Friday of every month from April through September. Movies start at sunset. Visit http://www.stlouisunionstation.com/ for a listing of which movies will be shown. "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" will be screened on April 1.

Blue for World Autism Awareness Day April 2

Some St. Louis landmarks will be lit up in blue this weekend in recognition of World Autism Awareness Day April 2. One in every 110 children in the United States is now diagnosed with some kind of autism spectrum disorder. Structures scheduled to be illuminated in blue light April 1 and 2 include the Missouri History Museum, Soldiers' Memorial, City Gardens, Chase Park Plaza Hotel, Civil Courts Building, Big Brothers Big Sisters at Grand & Olive, the Lumen Event space on Locust, and Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. Organizers are encouraging local residents to light up their homes as well. The proceeds of blue light bulbs purchased at Home Depot will go to Autism Speaks ( http://www.autismspeaks.org/ ), an organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism, and funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism.

Downtown Architecture Walking Tours

Learn more about the city you love by taking one of Metropolis St. Louis' Downtown Walking Tours. The tours take place every Saturday at 10 a.m. to Noon, from April through October. There is an East tour and a West tour. The cost is $5 per person, children 12 and under are free. No reservations are required, just show up! The East tour begins outside the western entrance to the Old Courthouse, on Broadway between Market and Chestnut opposite Kiener Plaza. The West tour begins on the sidewalk outside the Grand Hall/hotel entrance to Union Station just west of 18th Street on Market. For more information, email mstltours@yahoo.com.

Project Blitz 2011 Continues

Project Blitz, Operation Brightside's annual campaign to clean up city neighborhoods continues this weekend in Region 1 North (bounded by Natural Bridge on the north, Taylor on the east, Metrolink & Lindell on the south, & the City Limits on the west) and Region 1 South (bounded by Meramec & Chippewa on the north, Mississippi River on the east, City Limits on the south, & Gravois & Kingshighway on the west). Join your neighbors on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3 to clean up the streets, alleys and vacant lots in your neighborhood. The year 2011 marks the 30th year for this annual City-wide clean-up effort. For more information, visit http://www.operationbrightside.org/ or call (314) 772-4646.

Vote YES on Prop E Rally

The Vote YES on Prop E Rally will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3 at the World's Fair Pavilion in beautiful Forest Park.

Election Day

There are a number of important issues on the April 5th ballot. Make sure your voice is heard. Vote on Tuesday, April 5th.

NIXLE

The Department of Public Safety's City Emergency Management Agency (CEMA) provides free emergency alert service through Nixle (http://www.Nixle.com/) . When you register for the service, you will receive our informative and timely text messages on your cell phone and/or as e-mails on your computer. Visit the Nixle website and sign up for the free service today. If you have any comments about the service, please let me know.

Will you be having an event in your neighborhood that we can support? If so, either email the information about it to me at brysonc@stlouiscity.com to Cathy Smentkowski at smentkowskic@stlouiscity.com .

And remember, if you see something in the neighborhood that just doesn't look right, REPORT IT!

 

Charles Bryson

Director of Public Safety

City of St. Louis