Latest news with #MasonicLodge
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Area ceremonies to honor fallen military service members
GOWER and PLATTE CITY, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Memorial Day ceremonies will be held Monday in the area to mourn United States military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The American Legion Post 393 will host an annual Memorial Day ceremony at 11:50 a.m. Monday at the Gower Veterans Memorial, located at 311 Railroad Ave. in Gower, Missouri. After the event, the Gower Lions Club and Masonic Lodge will serve a goodwill donation lunch to benefit the Gower Veterans Memorial. The City of Platte City will hold its Memorial Day service at the Platte County Cemetery at 101 N. Fourth St. in Platte City, Missouri. The ceremony is set to start at 10 a.m. Monday. Both of the events are open to the public.
CBC
23-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Bay Roberts traffic light was meant to improve safety, but it's never been activated
A costly project that was intended to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety in Bay Roberts has hit a stubborn red light following an embarrassing mistake — and town officials are being very guarded when it comes to the release of information as efforts to resolve the problem are explored. The town spent roughly $500,000 last year to upgrade the busy intersection at Route 70 and Sawdust Road, and install traffic/pedestrian lights. The project received the green light after years of complaints about how this section of road through Bay Roberts is not pedestrian friendly, and how drivers are often forced to dart across multiple lanes of traffic in order to enter and exit Route 70. But for some unexplained reason, one of the poles for the lighting system was installed less than a car's length from Lodge MacKay, a Masonic lodge located at the intersection, on the eastern side of Route 70. It turns out the pole was placed on land owned by the Masons, and no one is saying how the mistake was made, or what options are being considered in order to finally flip the switch and activate the traffic and pedestrian lights. So for many months, the traffic lights have been covered in garbage bags that have become tattered by the wind, and the buttons intended to activate a pedestrian crossing serve no purpose. When she saw the lights being installed last year, Sawdust Road resident Vera Molloy was both relieved and overjoyed. "We thought at last our problems are being addressed," Molloy told CBC News during an interview at the intersection on Thursday morning. But weeks and months went by and the lights were never activated. Then the rumours started. And now, Molloy and others are tired of waiting. Molloy is an avid walker, and she has to walk several hundred metres to access a pedestrian crossing, and then double back in order in order to get to the shopping mall or the bank on the opposite side of Route 70. And left turns are not permitted when she exits Sawdust Road onto Route 70 in her car, so again she has to drive south and find a place to turn around in order to travel north, while being mindful of the heavy traffic that's common in this area. "How would you like to skip across there this morning? Across four lanes of traffic to get over there, it's not good," Molloy said while gesturing at the wide road and struggling to be heard over the growling engines passing by. Sawdust Road is a popular area for 50-plus housing units, and more are being constructed. Molloy and her husband relocated to Bay Roberts a few years ago from the Burin Peninsula. While they enjoy living in the town, they are not comfortable with the traffic situation. "It causes us lots of problems." Acting Mayor Geoff Seymour declined an interview request, saying it's a "legal issue" and "I can't say much." Seymour directed CBC News to the town's new chief administrative officer, Dave Tibbo. He also declined a recorded interview, saying only that negotiations between the parties involved are underway and that he's "100 per cent committed to resolving the situation very soon."
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Polar Plunge raises more than $270,000 during snow showers
Feb. 8—ROCHESTER — The annual Polar Plunge is one event where organizers and attendees are not afraid of cold temperatures and a little bit of snow. The 24rd annual event, hosted by Special Olympics Minnesota, was held on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2025, at Foster-Arend Park in Rochester. The event had more than 900 participants and raised more than $272,000 for the Special Olympics. "We're right about our goals for participants and fundraising," said Emma Fiedler, special events manager for Special Olympics Minnesota. "They've been holding steady around that number for a couple years now. Great turnout in Rochester. The community is just amazing." Of the 900 participants, many signed up prior to the event and went with a group of friends. But not everyone signs up prior to the event. Rochester always tends to have a few people who sign up the morning of the event. "Believe it or not, we actually have probably the most (day of registrations) at the Rochester location out of everywhere," Fiedler said. "They see our event set up throughout the week, or just hear about it day of or the day before. We have some paper forms and usually we get probably about 20 to 30 people that decide at the last minute." The event encourages participants of all ages and experience levels and this year was the first time for many of the participants. Justin Maroun likely would never have signed up on his own. Maroun, an employee at Mayo Clinic, was talked into it by hiss boss, Dr. Stephanie Heller, who'd signed him up. Despite his nerves, he enjoyed the experience. "I was a little nervous," Maroun said. "We finished the jump, but going out was the hardest part. Actually walking out was the hardest, then you hit the water and it's over. It was a nice shock." With his friends and work colleagues close by, the camaraderie and overall experience was the highlight for him. The actual jump wasn't as bad as he imagined. "Just have fun with it," Maroun said. "The more fun you're having right before, the less you're thinking about." Many of the participants continue to show their support year after year all over the state. Special Olympics Minnesota works closely with businesses and law enforcement to set up and operate each year's event. "We have 22 polar plunge locations for lake jumps," Fiedler said. "Polar Plunge is the biggest fundraiser for the Special Olympics. So we just love people getting here, being cold, doing good, and just raising the funds to support our organization. It's just so fun to see people out here." Longtime Polar Plunge participant Bill Cleveland was participating in his 23rd Polar Plunge. "I've only missed the very first year," Cleveland said. "My wife's a Special Olympics swim coach, so she got me into doing this, and the Masonic Lodge joins me, and we've been jumping for years. We've raised almost $80,000 in that time period." This year Cleveland took the plunge with three others from the Masonic Lodge. For Cleveland, the mild snow showers added something to the event. The water is more painful to jump into at warmer temperatures for Cleveland, so he was glad to see colder weather. Throughout the 23 years he's experienced the event, Cleveland has learned a few things. The first year taught him and his wife a very important lesson: The less clothing you have on, the better. "It was like five below zero, the temperature, and the wind was blowing," Cleveland said. "My wife and I wore our graduation gowns, and they froze on us. They just turned into big sheets of ice hanging on us." The event helps raise money for something Cleveland and his wife are passionate about supporting. And it gives Cleveland some nice bragging rights. He is excited to continue his tradition in the years to come. "The adrenaline rush is amazing," he said. "You feel so good about it yourself after you get done with it, not just because of the adrenaline, but because you helped so many people out."
