Clarksdale Happening

July 2024

"The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." – Coretta Scott King

City Hall Closed   July 1st

Independence Day (City Hall Closed) July  4th

Farmer’s Market (9-Noon) July  13th

City Council Mtg (6:30pm City Hall)  July  16th

https://clarksdale-mo.com/ Find this newsletter, pay your bill, official minutes, reports, agendas, news about current projects, and more!

Farmers/Flea Market -Free! 9-12pm, 2nd Saturday of the month June -  Sept. at the large pavilion City Park. Looking for vendors and shoppers! Call or email  City Hall at 816-393-5363 or cityofclarksdale@yahoo.com 

Look Before You Lock! - Hot Cars and Children Safety 

38 kids Die each year by being left in an unattended vehicle, 88% Are age 5 & Under, 54% Were forgotten by caregivers, 100% of These Deaths Can be Avoided!

Lead Service Line Grant - Total H2O Solutions has completed their digging.

Streets - Metro-Asphalt has completed their work on the roads. Yay!!! Thank you to everyone who moved their car or found a different route for a time to accommodate the workers. 

New Water/Sewer/Maintenance Supervisor - Clarksdale’s very own Alex Pfouts has taken over the Water/Sewer/Maintenance Supervisor. Alex works full-time outside of Clarksdale, but will work for Clarksdale part-time evenings and weekends.  

Fireworks 66.050 - Allowed - Fireworks shall be allowed on the 20th of June through the 10th of July, between the times of 9:00 AM until 10:00 PM, except on the 3rd and 4th of July and/or at times specified by the Board of Aldermen. No fireworks may be discharged between the hours of Midnight and 9:00 AM

Drowns family and friends sing for a cure - To pay tribute to Connie Kay Drowns, who passed away from a rare form of blood cancer last year, her family organized a benefit concert to give money back to the Mosaic Life Care Cancer Center.

This center is where Drowns received treatment during her battle with cancer, and the family's connection with their staff inspired them to give back, according to her Husband,"Bud" Drowns.""

Due to the generous donations given at our concert Saturday night, and money donated on-site and bid on silent auction items that were donated we collected $4025 to donate for the Mosaic Cancer Center Assistance Fund!! THANK YOU ALL!!

Clarksdale Advancement Foundation  is looking for great people who want to make Clarksdale fantastic and help us achieve our goals. Come to our next meeting Thurs., July 11th at 6:30pm at City Hall. Snacks provided. “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in”.~Author Unknown

Fresh Mobile Pantry - Second Harvest Community Food Bank - Wed., July 17th , 2024. Clarksdale City Park - 10am - 12pm  - While Supplies Last- Open to the Public. Please tell your friends and neighbors. Everyone is welcome. {NOTE: mandate from 2nd Harvest, we have been limited to three families per vehicle.} To sign up for our text alert system email your full name, phone number, and zip code to info@shcfb.org. This is the quickest and most effective way to get information on schedule changes. Visit www.shcfb.org  for more assistance options.The 2nd Harvest Food Pantry, sponsored by the Clarksdale Lions Club and the Clarksdale Christian Church.

The Clarksdale  Lions Club meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month and we welcome anyone to come and hear what our club does for the community and we are always looking for new members.

Tri-County Health Department Survey-It would mean a lot to me, Teresa McDonald, BSN RN Administrator, if you could take a few minutes to complete this survey. Please share this with anyone else you can think of who lives or works in Dekalb or Gentry County. Thank you!  (On phone or tablet, open the built-in camera app. Point the camera at the QR code. Tap the banner that appears on your Android phone or tablet. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish signing in.)

Clarksdale Christian Church - VBS -Aug 4th thru 9th -Aug 4th Kick-off at 5:00 pm in the city park with a water side. Aug 5th - 8th VBS 6:00 - 8:30 pm Games, Songs, Bible Stories, Crafts, and Snacks. Aug 9th Family Night program and refreshments. 

Coming!  Multiple City Wide Garage Sales Sept 21st! Contact City Hall to be placed in order to get placed on the map. Trunk-or-Treat! Saturday, Oct., 26  and Breakfast with Santa  Saturday, Dec. 14th

Summer Safety Messages to share

Grill fire safety

• Only use propane, charcoal and wood pellet barbecue grills outside. Indoor use can cause a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Place your grill well away from siding and deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.

• Keep a 3-foot safe zone around your grill. This will keep kids and pets safe.

• Open your gas grill before lighting.

• Keep an eye on your grill. Don’t walk away from it when it is lit.

• Clean your grill after each use. This will remove grease that can start a fire.

• Place the coals from your grill in a metal can with a lid once they have cooled.

• Do not store or use a grill on a porch or balcony.

Fire pits, campfires, chimneys and outdoor fireplaces

• Build campfires at least 25 feet away from tents, shrubs and anything that can burn.

• Use chimneys, outdoor fireplaces and fire pits outdoors at least 10 feet away from your home or anything that can burn.

• Closely watch children when the fire pit is in use.

• Use a metal screen over wood-burning fires to keep sparks from floating out

• Turn off or put out fires before you leave the backyard.

• Store matches and lighters out of children’s sight and reach.

Fireworks

• Fireworks are dangerous to people and pets. Using them puts your property at risk.

• The best way to stay safe from fireworks is to not use them. Instead, attend a public fireworks display put on by professionals.

Fireworks Safety

Summer is synonymous with barbecues, parades and fireworks. The National Safety Council advises everyone to enjoy fireworks at public displays conducted by professionals, and not to use any fireworks at home. They may be legal but they are not safe.

In 2017, eight people died and over 12,000 were injured badly enough to require medical treatment after fireworks-related incidents. Of these, 50% of the injuries were to children and young adults under age 20. Over two-thirds (67%) of injuries took place from June 16 to July 16. And while the majority of these incidents were due to amateurs attempting to use professional-grade, homemade or other illegal fireworks or explosives, an estimated 1,200 injuries were from less powerful devices like small firecrackers and sparklers.

Additionally, fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires each year, including 1,300 structure fires, 300 vehicle fires and nearly 17,000 other fires.

Fireworks Safety Tips: If You Choose to Use Legal Fireworks

If consumer fireworks are legal to buy where you live and you choose to use them, be sure to follow the following safety tips:

• Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
• Never light them indoors
• Only use them away from people, houses and flammable material
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
• Never ignite devices in a container
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
• Never use illegal fireworks.

Better yet, grab a blanket and a patch of lawn, kick back and let the experts handle the fireworks show.

Sparklers Are Dangerous  Every year, young children can be found along parade routes and at festivals with sparklers in hand, but sparklers are a lot more dangerous than most people think. Sparklers burn at about 2,000 degrees – hot enough to melt some metals. Sparklers can quickly ignite clothing, and children have received severe burns from dropping sparklers on their feet. According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers alone account for more than 25% of emergency room visits for fireworks injuries. For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.  Consider using safer alternatives, such as glow sticks, confetti poppers or colored streamers.

PET HEAT SAFETY 

• Animals can die of heatstroke within 15 minutes.
• Cracking the windows does not help, the inside still gets dangerously hot.
• During hot weather, keep your pets home.
• If you see a pet in an unattended vehicle, do not leave until the problem has been resolved!