O’Fallon Update The Official Quarterly Publication of the City of O’Fallon, Missouri Autumn 2012 • www.ofallon.mo.us
Fall festivities come to O’Fallon O’Fallon Ranked as one of America’s “100 Best Places to Live” The City of O’Fallon has been named one of the country’s “Best Places to Live,” according to Money magazine’s list of America’s 100 best cities. O’Fallon ranked 39th on the 2012 list of cities with a population of 50,000– 300,000. O’Fallon was once again the topranked city in the State of Missouri. O’Fallon’s inclusion continues the stream of national accolades that have been bestowed on the City. In addition to Money’s previous rankings in 2006, 2008 and 2010, O’Fallon was named to Relocate-America. com’s listings of America’s Best Cities in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, and O’Fallon currently is ranked as the “Second-Safest City in America” by CQ Press. See page 2 for more on why Money considered O’Fallon to be the top place to live in Missouri.
In this issue 3
Fall Fest
5
Project O’Fallon
6
Upcoming Events
8
Police Bulletins
9
Roscoe’s Den
10 Senior Corner 11 Focus on O’Fallon 12 City Calendar
F
orty years ago, my parents moved to Missouri. I was in high school at the time, and little did I know that I would eventually get married to my wife Debbie and raise three kids in this wonderful City. Debbie and I chose to make our home in O’Fallon because we knew there was no better place to raise our family. And, I can’t tell you how humbling it is to see prestigious national publications continue to recognize O’Fallon – our hometown – as a great place to live and raise a family. Of course, part of what makes O’Fallon such a special place to live, work and play is all of the wonderful activities going on throughout the City, and this fall is no different. O’Fallon’s parks will be the place to be on those gorgeous fall weekends. Fort Zumwalt Park will be glowing with a remarkable array of fall colors. Soccer season is well underway at O’Fallon Sports Park. Meanwhile, the sounds of pads hitting and crowds cheering are signaling that football season has kicked off at Dames Park. Take a look at this issue’s Parks & Rec Guide to see everything going on in the 400+ acres of parks here in O’Fallon. The highlight of the fall will once again be our annual Fall Fest and Street Dance. The party begins on Friday, October 12 when the band Contagious will rock Downtown O’Fallon. Then, Saturday’s festivities open with the Fall Fest 5K at City Hall, followed by a full day of activities just down the block at Civic Park. This year’s event promises to be better than ever, so please check out pages 3 and 4 for details. In closing, I would like to thank all of you! Any honors we receive are a testament to our residents, our businesses, civic organizations, schools, churches, community volunteers and our elected officials and City staff. On behalf of the City Council, my family and the thousands of families who have made the choice to call O’Fallon home, thank you for making O’Fallon the best city in Missouri!
Bill Hennessy, Mayor
O’Fallon’s websites are getting a makeover For the most up-to-date information on O’Fallon, www.ofallon.mo.us is the place to go. And, coming this fall and winter, finding information will be even easier. The City will soon launch a new website with easy-to-navigate menus, the latest news and better mobile capabilities. Stay tuned to the electronic version of O’Fallon Update for launch dates and more details!
See reverse for Autumn Parks & Rec Guide