Helmet Law

An article posted in the local paper about a 12-yr-old boy who was hit by a vehicle while skateboarding seemed to spur some discussion on the stjoenews.net blog boards. Some blamed the parents for lack of adult supervision, others blamed the City for not providing ample places for youth to skateboard, and one blogger even posted a link to the ordinance which stated that no person is allowed to use skateboards, inline skates or other similar device in any business district.

All "blame" and accessibility to parks aside, this does raise an issue of safety. Why is there no law in MO for helmets? One other state comes to mind : CA. They have a helmet law for minors riding anything with wheels. Youths are required to have a helmet on when riding their bicycle, skateboard, scooter, etc;. I cannot believe that the government has to be the one to protect your child, but apparently, I've been told that helmets can save lives! In CA, you don't have to be rich to have a helmet, either. There are countless opportunities for families to receive free helmets, courtesy of fire depts, public service agencies, etc;

It's time to demand a helmet law be enacted to protect our children.

Sonic

What is the obsession with Sonic fast food restaurants? In the city of St Joseph, there are 5 Sonic restaurants! Do we really need that many? The number of drive-thru restaurants in our small region is remarkable. Rather, it is appalling.

It is no surprise that fast food and obesity are directly linked. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to look around our community to see that our citizens have a problem. In fact, our neighboring largely-populated cities (St Louis and Kansas City) have routinely made the "cities with the highest rating of obesity" list released by the American Obesity Assn. This rating is not an award. It is not something to be proud of.

Today I am met with a dilemma. How can I help change the notion that regular visits to Sonic are okay? It is like asking kids to give up their candy. Virtually impossible, one would say. However, there are solutions. And, like almost every other topic, it starts with education.

1. Offer cooking classes. Not at the college, but through a city/county/state-sponsored program that will offer free or at least reduced courses on how to make practical, real-life, un-gourmet snacks and meals.
2. Promote a healthy lifestyle. Uh... anyone hear the sound of change coming? It's time to suck it up and build and/or maintain sidewalks or bike lanes. Time to warmly embrace physical activities. A community center that offers racquetball, basketball, basically any indoor sport would THRIVE (year-round activity, folks).
3. Condone smoking and other poor health vices.
4. Start in school. Offer a health class. Not just sex ed here, folks. Actual discussion about the food pyramid, making healthy choices, the effects of those choices, physical education (not just running around the gym) to include the positive effects of exercising one's heart, lungs, muscles, etc; and also basic hygiene.

Obviously parents aren't stepping up to the plate to educate their children. And I believe it is extremely difficult to teach adults new tricks, but if we start now, we can change the predictions for obesity in our area.

Let's put pressure to halt or at least slow the addition of more fast food restaurants.

Let's put pressure on those who are overweight to make a lifestyle change. It is NOT okay to be overweight. It is NOT okay to eat out consistently.

Healthy is the new "in" thing.

Old Glory

My recent evening drive downtown allowed me the opportunity to revel in the majesty of our city hall building. I was sorely disappointed to notice that something was amiss. The light for the flag on the southwest side of the building was burned out. Old Glory should not stand in the darkness!

I knew there was some kind of "rule" that governs flags flying in the darkness, and found the following from the "Flag Code" [United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag]:

It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.

Ah ha! PROPERLY ILLUMINATED. The keywords. So I have written and called and emailed to no avail. Old Glory stands alone. In the dark.

UPDATE: Got the name of the maintenance manager, Scott Barnard. Found out that city hall has been vandalized repeatedly this year, with one of the primary targets being the American flag. I heard that the vandals have targeted wires, lighting fixtures, etc; What has this city come to? Where is the outrage? I for one am aiming for either an evening security guard or video surveillance. Anyhow - the light has been replaced (hooray!) and our flag stands watch over City Hall. Day and night.

For those interested - click here to view the live webcam of "Civic Center Park"