point of view

Little Things that can change your life....and maybe the world by Admiral William H. McRaven is based on life lessons learned during Navy SEAL training. 1. Start your day with a simple task, it sets a positive tone, provides a sense of accomplishment & shows that small habits can have a big impact. 2. You can't do it alone: one of the key lessons from SEAL training is the importance of teamwork. 3. Failure is part of success: failure is inevitable & necessary for growth, learn from them & continue pushing forward, resilience is crucial to success. 4. Life is not fair - keep moving forward: life is full of unfair circumstances, but dwelling on them only hinders progress. accept unfairness, learn from it, & continue to work toward your goals. 5. don't be afraid to take risks: You cannot achieve greatness by playing it safe; embrace uncertainty & take bold steps toward your goals. 6. Stand your ground in the face of adversity: stand firm, show courage & persevere, even when the situation seems overwhelming. 7. Rise above criticism & stay strong; criticism & ridicule are part of life, but its essential to stay focused on your mission and values. 8. Give people hope: the power of providing hope to those around you is a small gesture of encouragement or kindness to inspire others to keep going. 9. Face challenges head-on; don't avoid or run from challenges, instead, confront them directly, tackling obstacles with confidence & determination leads to personal growth & eventual success. 10. Never quit. Persistence is often the difference between success & failure. no matter how tough things get, keep pushing forward & refuse to quit.

Monday, 6pm - Planning & Zoning Commission

Wednesday, 11:30-1:30pm - Open House - Safe Streets & Sidewalks; Farmer's Markets

Thursday, 11:30am - SAFE; 2:30 pm Siloam Springs Park Ribbon Cutting

Friday, 7:30am - City Council Work Session; Homecoming Parade

Saturday, 9-2pm - Pumpkin Plunge

Planning & Zoning Commission will hold public hearings for the following: Special Use Permit for operation of short-term rental @ 205 S. Kansas City Ave.; operation of a tattooing establishment @ 453 S. Thompson Ave.; vacation of right-of-way, consideration of Preliminary & Final Plat & operation of camping facilities @ 414 Lookout, located at the corner of Lookout & Haynes Streets; vacation of a sanitary sewer easement along Vintage Drive, Vintage Plaza Lot 15D; & application to amend Chapter 400.130 pertaining to multi-family residential housing, as part of the City's Code Review Process.

Open House - Safe Streets & Sidewalks Presentation on the hour, then open-house format the rest of the time for more conversations; will be held at the Library, so it will be easy to drop in over the lunch break. The open house is directed toward property & business owners along W. Jesse James and is designed as come-and-go event.

Farmer's Markets - (morning @ Community Center 9-11:30am & afternoon @ Hitch Lot 4-7pm)

Siloam Springs Park Ribbon Cutting to celebrate the addition of this new park in a neighborhood full of kids who will benefit from the recreational opportunities it provides. Located behind the Church on Benton Ave.

City Council will discuss progress with Meals on Wheels & funding for the arts. Agenda items under development include recommendations from Planning & Zoning Commission, Proclamation for Fire Prevention Week, Knights of Columbus Tootsie Roll Drive, Chapter 353 for 115 W. Excelsior Street; Personnel Policy changes.

Celebrating work anniversaries this week - Scott Sapp, Parks Maintenance - 13 years; Kelsey Cohalla, Firefighter/EMT - 7 years; Hailee Arnold, Group Fitness Instructor - 4 years; Alexandria Arnold, Aquatics Manager - 3 years; Zachary Miller, 911 Communications Officer & Catherine Langdon, Custodian - 1 year.

• Dry Fork Greenway will be ready for contractors to review plans between October 7 & bid opening set for November 7. This week the N. Main low water crossing roadway bed collapsed & has been closed. We anticipate work to begin in January.
• Clay County is seeking funds to build a bike trail and repair the roadway on Salem Road north of the city limits.
• Public Safety Sales Tax Committee heard a presentation from Julia Mees with SAFE & the Police Department regarding the use of Marijuana Sales Tax funds. The committee recommended funds be used to support officer training on detecting impairment caused by more than just alcohol, training that pertains to changes in the law since the legalization of marijuana & School Resource Officer Training for officers & school officials. The committee expressed interest in support SAFE when their funding runs out in 2 years.
• The work begins to prepare for the Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities work we will be doing in the community. Appreciation for the work of Brian Rice, Gary Renne, Melinda Mehaffy & Lyndsey Baxter & many others to bring this opportunity to the community. Gary Renne is a big cheerleader for this cause.

Since 2014, the Excelsior Springs Rotary Club's 50/50 raffle has raised close to $10,000, benefiting various schools, organizations, & local causes.