As part of its Bicycle Friendly Community Outreach Program, Rochester will
host one of six Bicycle Friendly Community Workshops it will conduct. The
workshop will be led by Andy Clarke, nationally recognized bicycle advocate.
The workshop will bring together community leaders and interested citizens
to explore how to improve bicycle safety and effectiveness as a mode of
travel.
- Mayo Civic Center -Riverview Suite
- Monday, January 29, 2007
- 11:45 am-4 pm
This four hour workshop is designed to be a catalyst that will lead to long
term improvement in conditions for bicycling in the Rochester and Olmsted
County.
Space is limited to 40 participants; to help organizers plan the event
please RSVP your attendance to Stephanie Foster, Rochester-Olmsted Planning
Department, (507) 285-8232. Lunch will be provided.
Additional information can be found here
http://rneighbors.org/bicycle_friendly_community_workshop.
The following community event is being planned for Rochester:
- Community Forum on Proposed Smoke-free Workplace Ordinance
- 2100 Campus Drive Se, Rochester
-
- Thursday, January 4
7:30 PM
This Forum is an opportunity for members of the community to present and
hear individual perspectives about the proposed Olmsted County
Smoke-free Workplace Ordinance. The forum is co-hosted by the Community
Health Services Advisory Board and the Environmental Commission.
Additional information can be found here
http://rneighbors.org/proposed_smoke-free_workplace_ordinance.
Now that winter is ‘offically’ here, it is a good time to be prepared for more stormy weather. Be prepared and be safe both indoors and out. The follow are good safety tips that I found from a number of sources online:
- Install a smoke alarm near bedrooms and on each floor of your home. Test it monthly. If it has a 9-volt battery, change the battery once a year.
- Install a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm near bedrooms and on each floor of your home. Know the symptoms of CO poisoning: headache, fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath. If you experience any of these symptoms, get fresh air right away and contact a doctor for proper diagnosis.
-
Make sure heating equipment is installed properly. Have a trained specialist inspect and tune up your heating system each year.
- Have your fireplace chimney and flue inspected each year and cleaned if needed. Open the flue and use a sturdy fireplace screen when you have a fire. Burn only untreated wood; never burn paper or pine branches–pieces can float out the chimney and ignite your roof, a neighbor’s roof, or nearby trees.
- When using a portable electric heater, keep flammable materials - bedding, clothing, draperies, rugs and furniture - at last three feet away even if it has safety features such as cut-off switches or heating element guards.
- If you use an electric blanket to keep warm on a cold night, follow the manufacturers instructions and make sure you turn it off and unplug it when it’s not in use. Never tuck an electrical blanket in.
- Keep an emergency supply kit in your home that includes a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, canned food and a manual can opener, flashlights and battery-powered lamps for power failures, wood for fireplaces, and rock salt to melt ice and sand to improve traction.
- Make sure your car is in proper working condition and includes blankets, warm clothing, booster cables and tools, bottled water, dried fruits and nuts, a first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, flashlights and batteries, a shovel and ice scraper.
- Wear layers to protect yourself from the cold. A hat, scarf and mittens are also essential protection against winter weather.
Sources of information:
-Bonnie Lodermeier
Northwest Neighbors
The Rochester Publics Works held an open house Thursday, December 7 to show their three proposals for the change in the 55th & W. Circle Drive intersection. They also took written comments from those attending and are still looking for more. They will be taking all comments into consideration during their decision making process. This is your chance to impact your neighborhood! Go to the following link, review the proposals and send in your comment to the contact person. Public Works Hot Topics.
Your opinions counts!
Bonnie Lodermeier
Northwest Neighbors
