Perfect Night Out Page 7
Summer Vegetables Page 7
Protecting Deer Page 8
Free complimentary copy August 8, 2014 • Volume 1, No. 45
www.raytowneagle.com • 75¢
Raytown Police Safety Fair A Big Success By Diane Krizek Editor Raytown Police Department’s Safety Fair, formerly known as Raytown National Night Out, has grown a lot since it started three years ago thanks to the organizational skills of Marilyn Fleming, Community Service Coordinator. The annual event is organized to strengthen police and community partnerships. Local nonprofit groups are also invited to the event to educate the public on the services they offer. The public had the opportunity to get up close and personal with SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) and its tools of the trade, a patrol car and first response Unit 125. RPD has three units assigned to SWAT that are loaded with gear and outfitted with technology for communications, planning and video recording. “We drive these units home so that in an emergency situation we can go direct to the assigned safe place to assemble rather than travel first to police headquarters to get our gear as done in the past shaving off at least an hour and half in critical circumstances,” explained
Maj. Ted Bowman. “Technology has made all of our jobs much more efficient.” RPD also had a tent to attract interested candidates for open positions as dispatchers, detention technicians and patrol officers. Police officers were ready and available for questions. Missouri Highway Department brought its Seat Belt Convincer to shake people up. Kids could tour a Raytown Fire truck or an EMS ambulance. Public Works had a bucket truck on display and allowed folks to climb into the cab of its John Deere backhoe loader. Raytown Amateur Ham Radio Club KØGQ was on site to educate the public on the advantages of ham radio communications during emergencies and power outages and Raytown’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) offered information about its upcoming training session. Nonprofits present at the fair included Hope House that offers resources and shelter for victims of domestic violence. Visit HopeHouse.net for more information. Their hotline is 816-461-4673. Mid-Continent Library-Raytown provided information about
SWAT arsenal upcoming classes, book clubs and a new program called, Food for Fines. You can now donate a nonperishable food item to pay $1 to-
wards your overdue fines twice year in May and September. The next Food for Fines takes place Sep-
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Maj. Ted Bowman’s first response Unit 125 outfitted with technology for communications, planning and video recording Left to right: Vicki Turnbow, Chamber president and Maj. Bowman holding the door of Unit 125
Raytown Students Are In For A Surprise Raytown School District is making use of the bonds that voters approved last Spring and students will soon be experiencing the improvements when school starts August 18. Blue Ridge, Norfleet, Raytown High, South Middle, Robinson, Westridge and Herndon Center have new paint jobs. Raytown High has new computer labs and Little Blue Elementary will have its completed by the end of September. Spring Valley now has a guided entrance so it is as secure as all the schools in the district. Look for the installation of digital LED signs at all schools except those in Kansas City where sign ordinances restrict scrolling digital signs, that is Eastwood Hills, Fleetridge, Little Blue, Norfleet and Westridge elementary schools. Security videos upgrades will start early September. Bids are going out for new exterior lighting at eleven schools, the chiller replacement for the District Technology Center and the Raytown South High stadium improvements. Are you ready?
New LED signs going up at all Raytown schools