Posts tagged John Rayno

Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity to educate
This year’s theme, “Have 2 Ways Out,” gets extra emphasis from fire department this month

For the last 90 years, the week in which October 9 falls has been designated as Fire Prevention Week, but for the St. Augustine Fire Department, what is nationally a week is locally a month. Taking advantage of the nation-wide emphasis on fire prevention in October each year, the St. Augustine Fire Department uses the themed month to educate the public on fire safety.

Much of that education takes place in the community’s elementary schools, pre-schools and daycare centers where fire personnel are greeted by an audience ready to listen and willing to learn. According to John Rayno, St. Augustine’s Fire Marshal and Assistant Fire Chief, having firefighters visit schools is a very effective way to get information into the home.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week’s theme is “Have 2 Ways Out,” focusing on the need for escape plans to incorporate two exits for each room. Taking stock of available exits is essential to every escape plan, whether for home or business, and those plans need to be well known and practiced.

While the month of October has an emphasis on prevention education, fire department personnel are ready to bring tailor made programming to civic associations, businesses, living facilities, churches and anywhere else a group wants to know more about fire prevention.

For more information about Fire Prevention Week and the work of the St. Augustine Fire Department,
click here.

This week on The Break Room: Fire Prevention Week

Assistant Fire Chief and City Fire Marshal John Rayno stops by The Break Room this week to discuss this month’s educational efforts as part of Fire Prevention Week and, shares with program host, Paul K. Williamson, some specific fire safety guidelines.

Each week the friendly and informative style of The Break Room offers the community an opportunity to know a little more about how their city works by getting to know those who do the work every day. The Break Room airs Wednesdays at 5:30pm and Saturdays at 8:00am, and each program is archived at www.breakroom.info as podcasts available for download anytime. To listen to this week’s program immediately, click here.

Avenida Menendez crosswalk installation necessitates lane closure
Traffic reduced to one lane in each direction during installation work

The installation of crosswalks at two locations on Avenida Menendez will necessitate the reduction of traffic to two lanes, one for northbound traffic and one for southbound, in two locations on two different occasions in coming weeks. The crosswalks at Fort Alley and Cuna Street, currently delineated with stamped asphalt to simulate brick, will be replaced with historic, authentic brick.

To accommodate the extensive work, Avenida Menendez will be reduced to two lane, two way traffic for a period of four days lasting from mid-day Sunday through Wednesday evening. At no time will Avenida Menendez be closed, but traffic will be slowed through the area during the work.

The work is scheduled for:
— Fort Alley crosswalk installation: mid-day Sunday, October 21 through the evening of Wednesday, October 24.
— Cuna Street crosswalk installation: mid-day Sunday, October 28 through the evening of Wednesday, October 31.

The crosswalk installation is the final element of an extensive project that began in early February of this year and includes extensive pedestrian improvements along south Castillo Drive that have included the installation of new street lights, widening of sidewalks, and improved signalization for both pedestrians and vehicles.

Funding for the project was secured by Congressman John Mica who, during a visit to St. Augustine, noticed the challenges pedestrians had in the congested area lying between popular St. George Street and the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. He then set about seeking an appropriation to fund the changes needed to alleviate those challenges.

To read a story on the city’s Web site regarding the project, click here.

For more information, contact the Planning and Building Department at 904.825.1065.

City plants 23 trees in just two days
Live oaks, red cedars and magnolias replace trees removed following tree assessment program

If it is true that any day is made better by the planting of a tree then last week the City of St. Augustine gave the community some great days by planting over 20 new trees in just a two-day period.

Most of the plantings are replacement trees for those that had to be removed following receipt of the results of a tree assessment that identified 15 trees in the city right-of-way that were deemed to be so far decayed as to be unsafe, commonly referred to as hazard trees.

The new trees included Live Oaks that were planted along the most northern section of San Marco Ave. and at Vickers Field, Magnolias planted on Riberia St. next to Francis Field, and Red Cedars along Flagler Blvd. and at the Visitors Information Center.

To learn more, click here.

Thirty-six days until Light-Up! Night
Nights of Lights’ 19th season begins on November 17

Have you seen your neighbors checking their holiday lights? Seem a little early? Not really when you consider that the 19th season of Nights of Lights is only a few weeks away.

Recognized as one of the Southeast’s major seasonal events, Nights of Lights has brought holiday excitement to the Nation’s Oldest City annually since 1994. The 10-week long event begins each year with a simple flip of a switch on the Saturday before Thanksgiving known as Light-Up! Night. To read about last year’s opening night, click here.

Don’t be “left in the dark” when the Nation’s Oldest City is transformed into an enchanted city of light.

For guidelines to participate in the Nights of Lights by adding displays to property in the city’s historic districts, click here.

For visitor information including dining, shopping, lodging, attractions, and tours, during the ten weeks of Nights of Lights, contact St. Augustine/Ponte Vedra on Florida’s Historic Coast by calling 800.653.2489 or visiting www.nightsoflights.com.

4 Ways 2 Stay in the City-Info-Loop

The city’s Public Affairs Department strives to keep the city’s constituents informed by making information
readily available and does so in a number of formats. In fact there are four ways to stay in the information loop. To learn what they are read this new story on the city’s web site by clicking here.

Opportunity to serve: Code Enforcement, Adjustments & Appeals Board

The City Commission is accepting applications to fill vacancies on the Code Enforcement, Adjustments & Appeals Board. Interested individuals who reside within the city limits of the City of St. Augustine are invited to submit applications for this volunteer board. Applications are requested by Friday, November 30 with appointments tentatively scheduled for the City Commission meeting of Monday, December 10. For information concerning qualifications and applications please contact the City Clerk’s office at 825-1007. The application form is available on the city’s web site by clicking here.

Agendas
The Code Enforcement, Appeals and Adjustment Board meets on October 9. The agenda is available here.
The Historic Architectural Review Board’s October meeting date has been rescheduled from October 18 until October 30. The agenda is available here.

All agenda, minutes and GTV info
Agendas and minutes for all city meetings can be found at www.staugustinegovernment.com with a schedule of upcoming meetings listed under City Calendar. City Commission meetings are broadcast live via GTV (Comcast Channel 3 in St. Augustine) each second and fourth Monday at 5:00pm. Commission meetings are also recorded and rebroadcast as are Planning and Zoning Board and Historic Architectural Review Board meetings. For a current schedule of all programming on GTV, click here.

Source: City of St. Augustine