PARMA – An area community has been approved for a state grant to help improve its drainage system.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) today Parma has been approved for a $216,476 grant under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The grant is part of $1.9 million in CDBG funding awarded through the 2011 Other Public Needs Competition.
Parma officials report the city utilize the grant for drainage system improvements. The project will complete drainage improvements along both sides of Main Street on the west end of town and along the south side of Main Street on the east end of town.
The CDBG program, administered by the Missouri Department of Economic Development, provides grants and loan funds to cities with a population under 50,000 and counties under 200,000 to assist in a variety of public works and economic development projects.
One engine that will help with growing toward a better future will undoubtedly be the railroad. That message was delivered this week in Dexter by one of the senior officials of Union Pacific Railroad.
Robert W. Turner, Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for Union Pacific, was in Dexter to recognize the efforts of the city in working with the railroad to promote safety. While in town, Turner spoke about the role railroads will have in helping rebuild the economy.
Turner said as the nation looks ahead and examines the infrastructure challenges, communities such as Dexter that have strong rail service will have a brighter future.
“I think more and more of what drives the economy is going to move by rail,” he said. “If you are in a town that has tracks and has a connection to that economy you’re going to have an advantage. You have connection in this town to the global economy that a lot of towns don’t have and a lot of towns wish the could.”
Turner says Union Pacific officials foresee great years are ahead for rail transportation.
“We are looking forward to being with you (Dexter) for the next 100 years,” he said. Generally there is a cost advantage to moving goods by rail rather than by highway, he said, and better for the environment as well.
“We can move a ton of freight 500 miles on one gallon of diesel. That’s like your SUV getting about 250 miles to the gallon,” he said.
Transporting goods by rail is good for the economy and eases traffic congestion, Turner added. The UP official also told the group gathered at the Dexter City Administration Building that the federal government has done studies about how the nation’s economy will grow, where goods will move and how.
“It’s going to be a real opportunity,” Turner said. “As the standard of living grows around the world, the quality of food is to improve. You’re sitting here in the heart of one of the great food-producing regions of the world. Whether it's food going to some part of North America or food going out for export, with the productivity in farming and the ability to get more yield per acre, it’s going to become a huge advantage for this region.”
He also predicted that exports would continue to be a “strong driver” for the nation’s economy.
“You have a great rail network that gets you to the ports,” he said. He added that about one-third of UP’s business today starts or ends in another nation.
Colby Dengney, manager of the local Union Pacific Railroad operation, said Tuesday there are an average of 40 trains each day that travel through Dexter.
WAPPAPELLO LAKE – Two areas are Wappapello Lake will be closed during the upcoming duck season.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Wappapello Lake announced this week that Asher Creek and Lost Creek Waterfowl Refuges will be closed during the upcoming duck season in the middle zone.
“These refuges were established to provide resting places for migrating waterfowl in the Mississippi flyway.,” said Dan Camden of the Corps office at Wappapello. “Starting Saturday, Nov. 5, until Tuesday, January 3, 2012, portions of both refuges will be closed to vehicle and boat traffic. During this time, we remind visitors that foot traffic is still welcomed.”
Closures will include some Corps of Engineers gates and roadways in the Lost Creek area. The gate at Warner Davis (Corps Road #9) and Lost Creek Low Water Bridge (Corps Road #8) in the Shook area will be closed. The refuge boundary in this area follows Corps Road #8. Firearms hunting is not permitted on the lake side of this road during duck season.
In the Davis Schoolhouse area, the gate will be closed on Corps Road #10. The refuge boundary beyond this gate is the shoreline and refuge boundary markers. During duck season, only archery hunting is permitted.
“If you are unsure of the refuge location, call or visit the Wappapello Lake Project Office to obtain a refuge map,” Camden said.
Buoys marked “No Boats” will be placed on the lake across the coves of Asher Creek and Lost Creek. A “Boat Ramp Closed” sign and “No Boat” buoy will also be placed at the Lost Creek Landing boat ramp. Should the coves be frozen over on the Jan. 4 opening date, the refuge will be open and the buoys will be removed as soon as lake conditions permit.
Although the above roads, coves, and gates will reopen on Wednesday, Jan.4, 2012, hunters are reminded that no waterfowl hunting is allowed in the Lost Creek or Asher Creek Waterfowl Refuges. This includes teal, Canada geese, and snow geese.
The Asher Creek Waterfowl Refuge, which is adjacent to the Lake Wappapello State Park, is closed to hunting year-round.
As a reminder, all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are prohibited from operating off designated roadways on land administered by the Corps of Engineers. Visitors asked to be familiar with the local, state, and federal regulations governing ATV use prior to a trip afield.
For more information on waterfowl hunting, refuge boundaries, and vehicle use policies please contact the Wappapello Lake Project Office at (573) 222-8562. For lake information, call the 24-hour Recreation Hotline at (573) 222-8139 or toll free at 1-877-LAKE-INFO.
More than 135 years ago, Dexter was founded, centered around the old railroad track that eventually ran through the heart of the town. Now more than 40 trains a day travel through the community, and the relationship between railroad and community remains strong.
Officials from the Union Pacific Railroad were in Dexter on Wednesday morning, to recognize that relationship and to honor two Dexter city departments for their hard work and efforts.
Robert W. Turner, Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for Union Pacific, traveled to Dexter to present Golden Spike Awards to the Dexter police and fire departments for their continued cooperation and work with the railroad.
The presentations were made at a ceremony at the Dexter City Administration Building. Accepting the recognition for the Police Department was Police Chief Sammy Stone; for the Fire Department Chief Al Banken.
“There are 7,296 communities in the United States that have Union Pacific tracks running through them,” Turner said at the presentation. “We want to be a good neighbor in every one of them.”
Turner, from the Union Pacific headquarters in Omaha, said part of being a good neighbor involves good trains, UP employees who live in the towns, and the relationship between the rail company public safety officials in communities.
“Our relationship with public safety, with first responders, really is unique because of the things you’re often called on to do because we have trains coming through,” he said. Turner said the Golden Spike Award is to honor those community folks who put their lives on the line and are concerned about public safety and railroads.
“This is to thank you for all you do. When that call comes through at 2 o’clock in the morning or 2 o’clock in the afternoon – you folks are out there,” he said. “Thank you for what you do; thank you for your continued work.“'
Turner noted that Union Pacific turns 150 years old in 2012.
“We are saying that the best years are ahead of us. We are going to keep being a part of your town and want to keep working with you on projects that matter and things are important to the community. You have our pledge that we’re going to keep trying to be a good citizen,” he commented.
Joining Turner on Wednesday morning was Dan Witthaus, Superintendent Transportation Services from the UP unit in St. Louis.
“I just want to say thank you,” Witthaus said to Stone and Banken. “We had a few opportunities to work together, unfortunately, on some incidents.”
Witthaus said that some year back Stoddard County had a number of crossing incidents and other situations.
“We’ve been able to get that (incident rate) down to almost nothing. I really appreciate all you have given and everything you’ve done to get that taken care of,” Witthaus said.
Also attending the presentation Wednesday morning were Dexter Mayor Joe Weber and City Administrator Mark Stidham, and assistant fire chief Don Seymore.
Photo Above: Union Pacific Senior Vice President Robert W. Turner, left, speaks at a presentation of Golden Spike Awards to tthe Dexter Fire Department and Dexter Police Department on Wednesday morning. With Turner are (from left) Police Chief Sammy Stone, Dan Witthaus from UP's St. Louis Service Unit, and Dexter Fire Chief Al Banken. (SMT photo by Annabeth Miller)
By Annabeeth Miller, SMT Editor
They scrubbed and cleaned and swept and they joined more than 3 million other Americans recently in helping to make a difference in the lives of others.
The students from Mingo Job Corp recently gave back to others by participating in the annual Make A Difference Day. In a wave of volunteerism that swept the nation, the Job Corps students rolled up their sleeves and helped to make a difference.
In what has become an annual project, the students brought their energy to Dexter where they spent the morning at the Dexter Public Schools bus garage. There the young men and women cleaned, swept, washed, scrubbed s every bus in the district’s fleet. By the end of the morning the buses gleamed from the front seat all the way to the back; windows shined, seats and floors cleaned and the buses had been given a thorough scrubbing.
“We want to give back to the community,” said group leader Bob Waldner. So every year Waldner brings the students to Dexter to complete this project.
Students armed with window cleaner, rags, brooms and dust pans cleaned the interiors, while another crew of students washed the exteriors of the buses. Working together as a team, the students were able to complete the task of cleaning the entire fleet in short order.
“I’ve never been in a school bus that smelled so clean,” was heard as the students worked.
Make a Difference Day is the large national day of community service in America. Held each fall, the day is a day of neighbors helping neighbors and when Americans can unite in a common mission to improve the lives others.
Thank you, Job Corps students, for showing us how to be good neighbors and to Make A Difference in our community!
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