After taking a break last year, McDonald's and the Council continued the tradition of serving hamburgers and McRibs at the Food Kitchen the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
The McDonald's staff did all the planning and prep, Mayor Bill and Gary handed out the burgers and ribs, Kent served up pie and cookies, DJ put soup on the trays, Pat added crackers and napkins, Joyce and Barbara supervised the drinks. Family members of several of the council also helped.
Later in the day, the past and present Mayors hosted the annual Mayors' Thanksgiving at the Civic Arena. Proceeds from the dinner support Second Harvest.
City Manager Bruce Woody loaded council members and city staff into the official St. Joseph, Missouri travel van and headed for Osage Beach for the annual MML meeting. Upon arrival at Tan Tar A, we grumbled a bit about parking, long lines, and the many steps. But after we located our rooms, registered for the conference and found the reception area, we cheered up. Later we walked up and down stairs and then walked some more to the ballroom where Missouri American Water Company was hosting a meet and greet.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with conference activities. Monday evening, Mayor Bill recommended dinner at an Italian restaurant with a scenic view of the Lake of the Ozarks; Tuesday evening was the annual banquet. We left Wednesday morning after a breakfast meeting and were back in St. Joseph that afternoon.
Bikes will now be available to borrow at various locations in downtown St. Joseph.
The City of St. Joseph is launching its Pony Express Bike Share (PEBS) program with a ribbon cutting Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Civic Center Park. Stephanie Malita with the Health Department said the free program will allow people to borrow bikes and take short trips within the city.
“We’re going to open it up in the downtown area because it’s a flatter area,” Malita said. “We’re hoping people will find it easier to ride in the downtown area because it’s not quite as hilly.”
Malita said 40 bikes will eventually be available at a total of seven locations. Those locations include: Patee Park, Transfer Station, Coleman Hawkins Park, Radisson Hotel, Visitors Center, Buchanan County Courthouse, and Remington Nature Center.
“You get on a bike from a rack and ride it to any other rack or ride it back to the rack that you borrowed it from. We ask that people use it for four hours or less at a time,” she said. “If you stop at a location and want to go into a business for a meal or to shop, which we hope people will do, then you can turn the seat sideways…Which will indicate that it’s in use.”
The project was supported by a block grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and community partnerships.
The St. Joseph City Council hosted the Northwest Regional Meeting of the MML at Remington Nature Center. Following social time and dinner, the program consisted of a legislative wrap-up, an address by Mayor Bill and a review of MML services. Another N W Regional meeting will be held in October.
Saturday was busy for the 139th Airlift Wing. A morning Change of Command ceremony transferred leadership of the Wing from Col. Ralph Schwader to Col. Ed Black. In the evening a military ball helped celebrate the new commander and 70 years of the Air National Guard in Missouri.
The main speaker at the ball Saturday evening was Lt. General Scott Rice, Director of the Air National Guard. His wife Nancy also spoke. Several of us council members had met Gen. Rice in Washington D.C. when he spoke at a luncheon we attended during the Fly-In last spring.
Joining the City Council at our table were Col Black's parents.
The format for the annual Health Fair was revised and streamlined this year. The entrance to the Fair was lined with black and white photo stills from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" which had been photoshopped with faces of city department directors.
Employees who visited with various vendors were eligible for prizes donated from local businesses. Prizes included FitBits and a treadmill as well as smaller items. Give-aways included bag clips, pens, candy bars and smoothies.
The Buchanan Highlanders are the only bag pipers in the world who are officially authorized to wear the blue line tartan.
"The thin blue line' in the design indicates that law enforcement (symbolized by the blue line) stands between criminal acts and the would-be victims of crime.
After the Buchanan Highlanders were granted permission from the designer to use the blue line plaid design, the fabric was specially woven in Scotland for the Highlanders' kilts. The pleats in back are arranged so that a thin blue line in the design is clearly visible. The Highlanders wear this special tartan only for law enforcement events.
The St. Joseph FOP provided funding for the blue line plaid kilts.
An east coast snowstorm
the week before this year's annual fly-in affected the budding cherry trees in Washinton, but spring sunshine and brisk winds greeted the Community Alliance group when we arrived in D.C. March 21.
We were scheduled for lunch with the Director of the Air National Guard and afternoon meetings with Congresswoman Vickie Hartzler, Congressman Sam Graves and Senator Claire McCaskill. As is usual in Washington, we hurried to hurray meetings and then wait for them to begin. However, we were in high spirits after lunch because of good news regarding program funding for the 139th. After dinner at the Dubliner Irish pub, we were invited to an evening tour of the Capitol hosted by Congressman Graves.
The next day, we had a lunch meeting at the historic Monocle Restaurant with the staff from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, then walked up the hill for an afternoon meeting with Senator Roy Blunt. On the way back to the airport, our shuttle driver stopped a few blocks from the White House so we could walk to see it. Secret Service Security keeps visitors a significant distance across the street from the White House grounds but we could stand on the curb to take selfies.
