Labor Day weekend is coming up and everyone is ready to fire up their grills. Hot dogs and burgers are a welcoming sight at family cookouts, but a fire can make your holiday barbecue memorable for all the wrong reasons. Gas and charcoal grills cause an average of 1,500 structure fires and 4,800 outdoor fires in or on home properties. Because of the dangers, the Riverside Public Safety Department, NFPA (National fire Protection Association) offer these sensible outdoor grilling tips to help keep your cookout fun and safe.

Gas grill safety tips

- Check air tubes that lead into the burner for blockage from insects, spiders or food grease.
- Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
- Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease.
- Always keep propane gas containers upright.
- Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors.
- Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.
- Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.

Charcoal grill safety tips

Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it’s burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in close environments. To reduce the risk of CO poisoning:
- Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents or campers.
- Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
- Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Just remember when you’re ready to fire up the grill, keep the following in mind:
- Position the grill well away from siding, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
- Place the grill a safe distance from lawn games, play areas and foot traffic.
- Declare the entire grill area a “kid-free zone” until the grill has completely cooled off.

Using these safety tips will allow you and your family to have enjoyable time.

Interested in becoming a first responder to community emergencies?  Attend the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training September 17,18 and 25 to learn the basics on how to assist your family and neighbors in the first minutes after an emergency.  Participants will learn about: disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical operations, light search and rescue and more. 

When: September 17, 18 and 25, 2010
Where: Park University, Parkville, Mo. (McCoy Meetin’ House)
Time: Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: FREE!

Please register in advance to:

Deputy Mike O’Neal, Northland CERT
816-858-1966
moneal@plattesheriff.org

Peter Sturner, Northland CERT
816-518-6789
pete.sturner@park.edu

Pamela Carrol, HARRT
816-741-3528
founder001@harrt.net

As summer winds down, the pool hours will change starting on Monday, August 16. The new hours are 4 to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday; noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. Labor Day (September 6) is the last day of the season and the pool is open from noon to 8 p.m.

A big thank you goes out to Patriots Bank for making a generous donation to Riverside’s Back to School Clothing and Supply Drive. Employees at all six branches were able to participate in a jeans day if they donated to the drive. Additionally, the bank made another donation of supplies and clothes to the kids.

The City will donate all items collected to the Park Hill School District. Counselors at each school will hand out school supplies to children in need and clothes are distributed through the Park Hill Clothing Closet.

What can you do to help? Take advantage of the upcoming tax free holiday on August 6-8 and help stock up on essentials:

 • NEW white no-show socks (all sizes)

• NEW boys & young men’s boxers or boxer briefs

• NEW girls’ underwear

• #2 Pencils

• Crayons (8, 16 or 24 count)

• Washable Crayola markers

• Colored pencils

• Yellow Highlighters

• Dry erase markers

• Pocket folders with brads (plain colors only)

• Pocket folds without brads (plain colors only)

• Elmer’s Washable White School Glue

• Glue sticks

• 1” 3-ring binders

• Spiral notebooks (wide ruled)

• Notebook paper (wide ruled)

• Ziploc bags (gallon and quart)

• Supply pouches

• Hand sanitizer

• Clorox Wipes

• Tissues

Items can be dropped off in bins at the Riverside Community Center and Riverside City Hall. Donations will be accepted through August 20.

A young Pete Edlund began to serve his country in 1964 by joining the United States Army.  Following that enlistment he then joined the United States Marine Corps.  After tours of duty in two branches of the armed services and a tour of duty in Vietnam, Pete returned to civilian life and attended college at the University of Kansas.  It was there that he decided his calling was in law enforcement.

Detective Pete Edlund

In 1971 Pete Edlund became an officer with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.  While he held a variety of assignments for the KCPD, Pete’s true calling and what he excelled at was his work in Homicide, both as a Detective and a Sergeant.  He also became a member of the Metro Squad in 1978, a position he held until his retirement from law enforcement on August 2, 2010.

While with Kansas City, Pete worked on or supervised some of the more dramatic death investigations in Kansas City history, to include:

• Several killings which were determined to be related to organized crime.
• The 1981 Hyatt Regency collapse.
• The 1989 murder of 15 year old Ann Harrison, or Annie as Pete calls her.
• The 1990 murder of Diana Butler.
• The 1992 murder of FBI Agent Stanley Ronquist.
• Several serial killer investigations, to include James McGuire.

For 18 years he was also a crisis negotiator.  Pete studied, developed and practiced some of the techniques still used today in dealing with hostage negotiations and critical incident debriefings.

In 1998 Pete retired from the KCPD, but not from law enforcement.  He then spent the next 8 years as a Deputy Sheriff with the Platte County Sheriff’s Department.  Following those years, Pete then went to work as a Detective with the Riverside Police Department for 3 years.

Pete Edlund has spent 40 years in metropolitan area law enforcement.  30 of those years have been in criminal investigations to include membership in the Metro Squad.  Pete is an expert in criminal investigations and is one of the most accomplished murder detectives in this area.  His performance, dedication and results over 4 decades are exemplary and without comparison.  Metropolitan law enforcement and the citizens they serve owe Pete Edlund a debt of gratitude and thanks for a lifetime of service. 

- Guest Post by Chief Greg Mills, Riverside Department of Public Safety

Residents who need to dispose of yard waste and tree limbs should take them to the Damon Pursell Yardwaste Facility (6105 NW Riverpark Dr., Riverside, Mo, 816-304-3441) to be composted. This service is provided FREE of charge to residents. Regular operating hours are Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (weather permitting). Please bring your drivers license to verify residency.  The Public Works Department does not accept yard waste at its facility.

Many Riverside residents experienced power outages last night as a result of the storm.  Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions the City gets during and after a power outage:

Who do I call? If your power is out, please call KCPL at 1-888-544-4852 (1-888-LIGHTKC). They will make note of the outage and respond as soon as possible.

Should I call the City or report it to 9-1-1 also? No. City staff or the 9-1-1 operators are usually aware of the outage already. Calling 9-1-1 may clog phone lines for those who need to report a true emergency.

But doesn’t the City have access to people at KCPL who can get it fixed faster? Only for life-threatening situations. City staff and 9-1-1 operators must report general power outages to KCPL like everyone else to the number that is provided above.

Notice a funny smell coming from your floor drain?  The City has received reports that some residents have a sewer gas smell coming from their drain.  Upon investigation by members of the Riverside Fire Division and Public Works Department, it was discovered that that traps on the floor drains in these homes are drying out, most likely as a result of the hot weather.  Fire Chief Gordy Fowlston recommends pouring up to 5 gallons of water into the drain hole as a good preventative measure for this problem.  If you do notice this smell in your home, please contact the Riverside Fire Division at 741-1191.    Although this is the likely cause and the odor is not life threatening, the Fire Division will come investigate the issue to make sure that it’s not something more serious.  

In the coming weeks, you may notice this smell again as the City of Kansas City, Missouri begins work on the sanitary sewer lines that run through Riverside.  The City is working with the contractor to reduce the likelihood of this issue but encourages you to again contact the Riverside Fire Division at 741-1191 if you notice the smell of sewer gas in your home.

Aldermen Cope and Thatcher’s idea to “energize support” for our All-America Story video helped get us to 2,000 votes but we still need your votes to win!

Vote now for Riverside’s video: http://www.allamericacityaward.com/2010/06/09/vote-for-your-favorite-all-america-story-video/