BOO-ON-BELL

                                                            BOO ON BELL

Fall Family Fun Day Downtown Shawnee, Presented by: Safe Events For Families October, 24, 25, and 26th.

The annual Boo on Bell Fall Festival here in Shawnee celebrates the autumn season with family-friendly activities.  Boo on Bell starts on Friday evening with haunted carriage rides, scary theatre, ghost hunting and more. On Saturday festivities include: Main Street trick-or-treating from 3:30 to 5 and the carnival until 9 p.m.  a car show at 11am, where you can browse through rows of classic, vintage and modern autos. Sign your favorite four-legged friend up for the Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest, or just take him to the park and enjoy the company of other dog lovers.

Boo on Bell Fall Festival really kicks into gear Saturday afternoon with a variety of craft vendors, old-fashioned carnival games, a casket race, local ghost tour and more. Stick around until after the sun goes down for a free scary movie and nighttime Halloween parade. Other activities at Shawnee's Boo on Bell Fall Festival include a fun run, art show, hot dog eating contest, bingo, a costume contest, a hayride, face painting and games.

The 2013 Boo on Bell Street takes place on October 24-26. Activities begin around 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday, with Main Street trick-or-treating from 3:30 to 5 and the carnival until 9 p.m.

https://www.facebook.com/BooOnBell#!/BooOnBell/posts/678956312115578

http://booonbell.com/BooOnBellst.html 

Trick or Treat Safety

DRIVING SAFETY...

Motorists traveling on Halloween night should remember that children are everywhere: streets, sidewalks, crosswalks and parking lots. You will need to be on the highest alert while driving. Many of the costumes children wear are dark and difficult to see, be sure to have your headlights on. Slow down if you see leaves on the ground, you never know where children may be hiding. Be alert at all times and please drive with caution.

ADVICE TO PARENTS...

• Children under the age of 12 should be accompanied by an adult.
  
• Know the route your children will be taking if you are not going with them.
  
• Set a curfew for children who are not being supervised by an adult.
  
• Explain to children the difference between tricks and vandalism.
  
• Safety is in numbers, older children should stay together in groups.
  
• Assure your child is not tempted to eat their "unchecked" treats. Provide them with a good meal before they go out and give them some treats from home to place in their pockets.
  
• Be careful about homemade treats or damaged wrappers.

COSTUME SAFETY...

• Costumes should be of bright material, visible in the dark or have reflective tape.
  
• Consider using face paint, masks can hinder a child's visibility.
  
• If they do wear a mask, make sure it fits securely to allow good visibility.
  
• Wear a well fitted costume. Loose costumes may cause the child to trip and fall.
  
• Tape child's name, address and telephone number to inside of costume.
  
• Do not allow sharp instruments to be used in costuming.

TRICK-OR-TREATING SAFETY...

• Carry a flash light.
  
• Walk on a sidewalk. If a sidewalk is not available, walk on the left side of the road facing traffic.
  
• Avoid taking shortcuts across backyards or alleys.
  
• Stop at curbs.
  
• Look left, right and left again before crossing a street at a crosswalk or corner.
  
• Walk on well light streets.
  
• Obey all traffic signals and rules of the road.
  
• Trick-or-treat in well known neighborhoods.
  
• Carry emergency change to make a telephone call if needed.
  
• Approach only homes that have their front porch light on.
  
• Accept treats only at the front door. Never enter the home of a stranger.
  
• Never eat treats before getting home. Allow your parents to inspect all candy first.

SECURE YOUR HOME...

• Prepare for trick-or-treaters by lighting the house well.
  
• Restrain dogs and other animals.
  
• Remove obstacles from the front yard.
  
• Give individually wrapped candy or treats.

Top 5 Halloween Home Security and Safety Tips

Halloween is almost here, and kids and adults everywhere are starting to get into the holiday spirit. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding Halloween, but it’s important to remember that there are some very real home security concerns for this holiday. Since many adults wear costumes in public and hand out candy, you may not realize when the stranger you are speaking to is actually a criminal scouting out your neighborhood. On Halloween we open our doors constantly, which is another security risk. Here are a few security tips to keep your Halloween safe and happy.
 
     1.  Don’t post your Halloween plans on Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere else. If the whole world knows you are going to a party, it means your house will be empty, and an easy target. If you are hosting a big party, it gives someone the opportunity to put on a costume, casually walk into your house, and rob you and you’d never be able to identify the thief.
   
     2. Leave your lights on. If you do plan to be away from home on Halloween night, leave interior and exterior lights on. Mischief makers love darkness, and the light will be a good deterrent.
   
     3.  Use caution before opening the door. Your doorbell will ring frequently, and criminals know that most homeowners let their guard down. If the people at the door seem suspicious, don’t open it. You also shouldn’t let anyone inside your home, unless you know the person well.
 
      4.  Keep pets away from the front door. The constant ringing of the doorbell, visitors, costumes and excitement can make your dog or cat anxious, or allow them to run away. Keep them safe and protected in another area of the house.
   
     5.  Don’t use real candles or fire in any Halloween decorations. Costumes and décor is very flammable, and fire is never something to play around with. Use LED lights or flameless candles in your pumpkins and decorations to keep your holiday safe and happy.

  Here’s a final tip that can help make your community’s celebration a safe one. Installing a home alarm system is always a good idea, but you can also prevent crime and mayhem before it happens. Every neighborhood watch group should have extra patrols in the neighborhood on Halloween night to deter teenagers from pulling pranks on neighbors, and to keep burglars at bay. If your friends or family live in a community without a watch group, groups neighbors can walk or drive around and patrol the community themselves. Even the appearance of foot and car traffic on this night will keep homeowners and renters safe.

Guest Blog Post - LifeShield Security

Tips for kids at home

Many children stay home alone for long periods of time during the summer. Here are some things to teach your children:


1. Provide telephone numbers for your children to reach you. Advise co workers your children may check-in.
2. Teach your children how and when to call 9-1-1.
3. Teach children not to open the door to others with out your permission.
4. Teach children to never let a person at the door or on the phone know that they are home alone.
5. You might consider getting caller ID and screen your calls.
6. If your trusted neighbors will be home during your absence, arrange for your children to check-in with them.
7. Teach children how to escape in case of fire and designate a meeting place.
8. Determine which household appliances you want your children to use.
9. Provide activities and chores for your children to help keep them busy.

Alcohol and the life of James

James is a 13-year-old boy who has been hanging around with friends that have parents that throw drinking parties every weekend. Now James parents drink but not very often, so he is not a stranger to alcohol. One weekend he asks his parents if he can go and spend the night at his friend Tom’s home. They agree. Tom’s parents are having a party as usual. James is introduced to the taste of his first beer. In addition, he really likes the taste and how it makes him feel. James is now on the road to alcoholism. Of course he doesn’t know it as of yet. Let us fast forward a few years.
James is now out of high school and in his first year of college. He has learned that a couple of beers will make him able to talk to other people without being shy or reserved, that it makes him feel better than he has in a long time, and that it helps him sleep. He has a few friends that drink with him but he always drinks them under the table and he never seems to get enough. James only drinks on weekends because of his schoolwork so he feels that it is not affecting him any. Fast forward, another year or two he is about 21 now and drinks on weekends and on Wednesdays just to get by. He hates the feeling that he has when not drinking and at this age it already hurts not to drink and just a day or two between drinking is just about all he can stand. James, at this point does not yet realize he is an alcoholic.
At the age of 23 he has been in his first car wreck and his first DUI, spent the night in jail, and has to call his parents to bail him out. James experiences for the first time how it feels to be a criminal. His car is a wreck but drivable but what do you think happens? Do you think that this first experience with the law will stop him? No, he is remorseful, sorry, upset at himself but after a few weeks he is back to drinking again.

Online Tools to Discover Where Sexual Predators and Criminals Live in Your Neighborhood

Parents, teachers and other guardians who are concerned about the safety of their children can often reduce the risks their children face by educating themselves as to where sexual predators and criminals reside in their neighborhoods. Registered sex offenders are listed in a national and/or state database, available to the public online, as well as on criminal background check websites. Listings usually include their full name and home address, letting parents type in their zip code and find out which homes in their neighborhood conceal potential threats to their children. Here are several online tools that can be used to search for sexual predators in your area.


Family Watchdog: Family Watchdog maintains that “awareness is your best defense.” Users can search multiple states at once if they want to search by location. The site also lets users search by name if they are trying to track down a particular offender. In addition, this site posts information about food and drug recalls and product recalls.

CriminalCheck.com: Search by name or zip code at CriminalCheck.com to find registered sex offenders in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. If users search by zip code, they can view a map of their area that pinpoints the exact location of sex offenders.

FamilyBeacon.com: This site gives a history of sex offender laws in addition to providing a comprehensive search. Users who suspect their neighbor of being a sex offender can type in their name or address to find out if they are listed. Otherwise, users can search by zip code or city.

National and Governmental Sites
These websites are organized by national and/or governmental agencies, making your search more official.

National Alert Registry The motto of the National Alert Registry is to “be aware, be alert, be safe.” Currently, the registry includes over 500,000 listings that include names, addresses and even photos of the sex offenders. Users can register their neighborhood or area of interest with the registry to receive RED ALERTs by e-mail whenever a new name is added.

Megan’s Law Nationwide Registries and Links: This page features a Megan’s Law Report Card, which grades states on how accessible they make sexual predator information to the public and on the number of registrants vs. the number of actual offenders. The site also displays links to sex offender registries by state and provides users with an easy way to report child pornography.

Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Registry: This website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice and lets users search for violent sex offenders who may prey on adults as well as children. There is also a search for general sex offenders who have a criminal past with minors. Users can search by region, state, zip code, name or conduct a nationwide search.

Come and watch Home Run With the Westside Neighborhood watch

Come watch HOME RUN with the Westsideneighborhood watch.   For those of you that need a ride we will carpool from the westside parking lot at the Wallace Ave. Baptist Church here in Shawnee on April the 19th.   Be there by 6:30 to catch a ride.  You will be responsible for buying your own ticket.

HOME RUN tells the story of Cory Brand (Scott Elrod) a big league baseball player who struggles with alcoholism. His past is riddled with problems including having an abusive alcoholic father. Cory is suspended from baseball when his out of control drinking collides with his rage. His suspension forces him to seek help and Celebrate Recovery is the only option available to him. Through the character of Cory Brand the viewers will realize that personal transformation is possible. This character is a strong-willed, tough know it all who doesn’t need anything from anyone–yet deep inside is damaged, scared, unsure and struggling. For years, Cory hides his pain until one day it explodes. He uses anger to cover up what he is really feeling. This character craves approval and feeds this need for approval by playing baseball really well. As the movie unfolds, Cory is eventually forced to deal with his demons.

Can people really change? This movie explores the challenges that Cory Brand faces from losing everything to discovering what really matters. HOME RUN explores this transformation and reveals that there doesn’t have to be shame along the journey.

The Movie will be showing at the Cinema Centre 8 located at 3031 North Harrison.
April the 19,20, and 21

Public Parks In Shawnee

Strickland Park - Kirk and Chapman
Jefferson Circle - Dill and Chapman
Redbud Park - Beard and Dill
Paul Duffield Tennis Complex - 1000 Block North Kennedy
Lions Club Park - Federal and Airport Drive
Mary Maxine Williamson Dog Park - Expo Center
Rose Garden Park - Broadway and Franklin
Wooland Veterans Park - Highland and Broadway
Veterans Memorial - 401 N. Broadway
Tom Terry Park - Main and Broadway
Briscoe Boy Scout Park - Main and Pesotum
Celebration of Life Park - 300 block  E. Main
Centennial Park - E. Main
Wildwood Park - Severn and Park
Farrall Park- Hayes and S. Park
Milstead Park - Harrison and Walnut
Chastain Park - Oakland and S. Harrison
Kidspace Park - 1300 Block N. Center
Kenwood Park - Independence and English Dr.
Larch-Miller Park - Hobson and Bruce
Optimist Park - 34th and Market
Rose Dale Park - Drummond and Philadelphia
Lilac Park - Edward and Patchin
Dean Weigant Park - Leo and Rosa
Dunbar Park - Hayes and S. Oklahoma
Wyatt Park? - 39th and N. Beard
Kiwanis Park - Patterson Road N. of Homer Lane
Glenn Collins Memorial Park - Belcher Road and Homer Lane
Lake No. 2 Park - Belcher and No. 2 Dam Road
Isaac Walton Park - Lake Road Dead End
Twin Lakes Trap Range - Patterson and Hardesty
Mihura Park - Hardesty Dr. and Pine Ridge Rd.
Dockery Ball Park - W. Farrall and Highway 177

Teaching a child to use 9-1-1

Parents can use the following safety tips to teach their children the proper way to use 9-1-1 to report emergencies:

• Never say "nine eleven." There is no eleven on a telephone keypad or dial. Always say "nine-one-one."
  
• Always call from a safe place. If there is a fire in the house, get out first and then call.
  
• Post your address near the phone. Be ready to give your name, address and telephone number.
• Tell the person who answers what is wrong. Follow their instructions and don't hang up unless they tell you to.
  
• Never call 9-1-1 as a prank or joke. You can get into trouble and keep someone who really needs help from getting it on time.
  
• 9-1-1 is not for animal emergencies.
• Call 9-1-1 if you see a fire, accident, when someone is very sick or hurt, if you see a crime.
  
• Call 9-1-1 if you think you have an emergency and explain the situation to the dispatcher.
  
• If you call 9-1-1 by mistake, don't hang up. Explain the mistake to the dispatcher and say there is not emergency.
• Tell your child that it is ok to call 9-1-1 if they are lost, and that they can use a payphone and that they don't need money to call 9-1-1.