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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Sunday, November 5, 2006
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Governor Blunt's DREAM Initiative will help Hannibal preserve the community's various historic sites that reflect the diverse cultural history of the city like the Mark Twain Museum, Molly Brown's birthplace, riverfront, and artistic community.
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Hannibal Celebrates DREAM Designation
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 5, 2006 - Hannibal, Missouri is celebrating their downtown's potential as one of only ten to be the first inducted into the Missouri Governor Matt Blunt's DREAM (Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri) Initiative.
"This is an exciting time for Hannibal because your DREAM designation translates into accomplishing your goals for downtown renewal more quickly than ever before," Blunt said during a visit to Hannibal last week. "As home to Mark Twain, a historic stopping point for Mississippi River travelers and now as a DREAM designee, I am excited to see what is in store for Hannibal's future."
The DREAM Initiative will help Hannibal preserve the community's various historic sites that reflect the diverse cultural history of the city like the Mark Twain Museum, Molly Brown's birthplace, riverfront, and artistic community. It will allow them to work with other river communities to promote the growing arts community in the area through the Provenance Project. Hannibal boasts a beautiful natural riverfront, and their Riverview Park has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Landscapes. Hannibal will also use its DREAM designation to preserve and reuse their diverse architecture in the downtown area.
The DREAM Initiative allows communities to more efficiently and effectively engage in downtown redevelopment and revitalization and attract new private investment opportunities to the hearts of their communities. It provides selected communities streamlined access to available programs for infrastructure improvements, historic preservation, affordable housing, community services, business development and job creation. The initiative also offers exclusive training and seminars created to help all DREAM applicants learn more about how to access existing redevelopment programs and tools to revitalize MissouriÕs historic and diverse downtowns.
Cape Girardeau, Excelsior Springs, Hermann, Kennett, Neosho, St. Joseph, Sedalia, Washington and West Plains join Hannibal as the first annual DREAM communities.
Teens Express Concern Over the Political Process
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 5, 2006 - Today's teens, the next generation of American voters, are ambivalent about the political process and have negative views toward political leaders, but still recognize the importance of political engagement and voting.
Over three-quarters of teens (ages 13 to 18) say they will vote when they reach voting age, but have little confidence in their elected representatives today.
These are some of the results of two nationwide Harris Interactive(R) YouthQuery omnibus surveys of 1,487 and 1,412 U.S. youth ages 8 to 18, fielded online between August 16 and August 24, 2006, and September 13 and September 21, 2006, respectively. This release only includes findings for the sub-groups of 929 and 891 teens ages 13 to 18.
Teens express concern over the political process
Only 17 percent of teens are completely or very confident that elections in their state in November will be fair. Teens also do not have positive views of their government leaders and politicians, as only seven percent of 13 to 18 year olds agree that most politicians are honest. Fewer than two in 10 (19%) teens have a positive attitude towards the federal government. In addition, teens question the moral fiber of these government leaders - six in 10 teens (59%) agree that the federal government needs better moral leadership. Over half (57%) of teens also agree that most politicians would take a bribe if they could get away with it.
Teens do not feel that government leaders are looking out for them. Only two in 10 teens agree that elected officials like a mayor or congressperson care about issues that affect them and people their age (20%) and that elected officials are making positive changes in their communities (19%).
Teens recognize importance of involvement
Although teens today have negative attitudes towards political leaders, half (52%) of all 13 to 18 year olds agree that it is important for people their age to get involved in the political process, and as teens approach voting age they are more likely to recognize the importance of getting involved. For example, 16 to 18 year olds are more likely than 13 to 15 year olds to agree that it is important for people their age to get involved in the political process (64% vs. 40%). Over three-quarters of all teens (77%) think it is likely that they will vote in elections once they reach voting age. Many teens at least sometimes talk about government, politics, candidates or elections with their friends (51%) and their parents (54%).
Tire Dump Round-Up Program Targets
Illegal Scrap Tire Dumps
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), November 5, 2006 - The Missouri Department of Natural Resources is providing all Missouri property owners the opportunity to report illegal scrap tire dumps on their property. The department is announcing the new Tire Dump Round-Up program in an effort to rid scrap tires from Missouri's landscapes and countrysides.
Property owners must meet certain criteria for the program. The scrap tire dump must contain between 500 and 10,000 tires. The department is also requiring the owner to sign an access agreement. The agreement states that if a property owner violates the solid waste management law in the future the department can proceed with assessing penalties and cost recovery for the incident.
If the property owners meet the criteria, they will be eligible to have the scrap tires cleaned up by the Missouri Department of Corrections' Missouri Vocational Enterprises without paying any cost recovery to the department. Active businesses and property owners who have participated in prior cleanup initiatives are not eligible.
"We have made great strides in dealing with the tire dumps throughout Missouri," said Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers. "The large dump sites are almost gone, and the Tire Dump Round-Up program will help tremendously in getting the rest of the smaller dumps cleaned up."
The Tire Dump Round-Up is funded from the state's 50-cent-per-tire scrap tire fee collected by retailers when every new tire is purchased in Missouri. To date, more than 14 million tires across Missouri have been cleaned up with the funds from this fee. The department will continue to work with Solid Waste Districts and not-for-profit citizens groups in cleaning up dumps that contain less than 500 tires.
Illegal scrap tire dumps pose serious environmental and health threats. Insects and rodents that grow and breed in these dumps can transmit diseases, such as the West Nile Virus. Fires at tire dumps can release hazardous substances into the air, land and water, and can burn for months or even years.
When recycled properly, scrap tires have other beneficial uses. They can be made into playground surfaces, running tracks and recycled rubber products, and can even be burned for fuel in power plants. In 2004 and 2005, more than 8 million tires were used as tire-derived-fuel in power plants. The department is also working with the Missouri Department of Transportation to promote the use of scrap tires in asphalt for Missouri's roadways.
For more information on Missouri's scrap tire fee efforts contact the department's scrap tire unit at 1-800-361-4827 or (573) 526-3909.
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