What Newcomers Are Surprised About When They Move to St Joseph

1. The number of stars in the sky (who knew?).
2. There isn't any smog... anywhere.
3. There are white people... everywhere.
4. It's okay for religion and politics to be intertwined.
5. Personal property tax sucks - and it's really high.
6. Property taxes suck - and they're really high.
7. Parks & recreation has such a paltry budget it's amazing that department can do anything.
8. Lots of parkways everywhere (YAY), but too few places to park to take advantage of them if you don't live near them (BOO).
9. Few homes have fences; the ones that do only have short fences; even less people have dogs.
10. Kids are bussed to school and spend all day there.
11. There are a lot of older people here.
12. If you don't know anyone, you'll never find a Friday night poker buddy. Chances are your new friends hang out with their extended family and old high school pals... all. the. time.
13. You won't find a "real" ethnic food restaurant. Chinese? Mexican anyone?
14. Adults have more opportunities for sporting leagues than kids do.
15. Wide open spaces.
16. Corn.
17. Soybean.
18. Cows. Horses. Livestock.
19. Hay... basically... crops altogether.
20. The weather is highly unpredictable, but wonderful. 4 seasons rock!
21. Locals don't love their local college team as much as they should.
22. Local college doesn't market to "outside" students as much as they should.
23. Cable is very expensive and doesn't work all the time. They blame sunspots.
24. Cellphone reception is "iffy".
25. Internet connections are terrible! Speeds vary from slow to really slow and are many times disconnected if you use DSL. Cable isn't any better. Or cheaper.
26. Traffic - there isn't any!
27. You can't get quality groceries at one store - you have to shop around. Meat at one store... produce at another... etc;
28. People here LOVE to eat out.
29. People here love to smoke (EWW). And it's okay with everyone else.
30. Lots of public pools.
31. Lots of parks that are actually open spaces that aren't any good for someone with a toddler who wants to climb.
32. Concrete roads are weird. And bumpy.
33. Lots of places to volunteer.
34. Salt is not at a premium here - MoDot and the City use it freely when bad weather is expected - rarely will the main roads be impassable.
35. You'll miss the last place you lived. :)

Safe Spot

Saint Joseph offers a really cool program for kids called "Safe Spot". Promoted by the Fire Administration, the SAFE SPOT program is designed to provide a safe haven for children whenever they feel threatened. Any business that would be interested in helping to provide a safe environment for children is encouraged to get involved. All that is required is to provide the child with temporary shelter and call the Police Department for emergency assistance.

The SAFE SPOT logo is easily recognizable by children so they can seek help quickly. Contact Fire Administration for further information (816) 271-4603.

Safe Spot locations are designed for children who feel threatened by bullies, adults or even family members. This program is also useful for children who are being abused at home who need a safe haven. Most businesses are relatively close to residential homes and are scattered throughout the city, so children should not feel that they need to go only to the police station. Also, going into a business may seem less "scary" for the child, and may also hide what the child is really entering for, reducing the risk from further harassment.

My only question is: how are we marketing this program to our children? The businesses have done their part and have posted the signs in their windows, making themselves available. But how are our children being alerted to this service? The signs do not specify what exactly SAFE SPOT is, and I had a hard time learning about it! I found a small paragraph in the city's 2006 annual fire report! Perhaps principals should take an opportunity at an assembly to advise students of this service. Or even better, maybe the signs themselves could be a little more explicit. Any ideas, folks?