The following message is from Senator David Vitter concerning toy shopping safety tips:

With the holidays fast approaching, many  families are preparing their homes for
visitors and searching for the perfect  gifts to give their little ones.
My kids all have Saints gear at the top of their  wish lists.  And as Wendy and I
have shopped for them we’ve, of course,  seen other parents out shopping for their
kids.
Since I’ve heard from many parents over the past  year about their concern for toy
safety, I  wanted to share these safety  tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission with you to keep in mind  as you do your holiday shopping.

When shopping for children under 3 years old:
-Avoid buying toys intended for  older children.  These toys may have small parts
that could pose a choking  danger to children under 3 who tend to put everything in
their mouths.
-Avoid toys that have sharp edges  and points, and look for toys that are well-made
with tightly secured eyes, noses and other  parts that children could pull apart.
-Avoid marbles and games with balls less than 1.75 inches in  diameter.  These
products can also pose a choking hazard to young  children.

When shopping for children between  3 and 5 years old:
-Avoid toys that are constructed  with thin, brittle plastic that might easily break
into small pieces or leave  jagged edges.
- Look for household art materials, including crayons and paint sets,  marked with
the designation “ASTM D-4236.”  This means the product has been reviewed by a
toxicologist and, if necessary, labeled with cautionary information.

And when shopping for children  ages 6 through 12:
- If you buy a bicycle for any age  child, buy a helmet too, and make sure the child
wears it.
- For all children, check toys periodically for breakage and potential  hazards.
Damaged or dangerous  toys should be repaired or thrown away.

In general, be a label reader.  Look for  and heed age recommendations.  Last year,
an estimated 140,700 children  were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms after
toy-related  incidents.  It’s important to choose the right toy for the right age
child.

When the head of the CPSC went through  confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate, I
questioned her about actions the  CPSC can take to continually improve the safety of
toys.  The CPSC  oversees the safety of toys and many other consumer products.  For
more information, you can call CPSC’s  toll-free hotline at 1-800-6… or visit
its website at www.cpsc.gov.  And I will continue working  with the CPSC and on
other measures to ensure the safety of the products our  children play with.

The following message is from Mr. David Barrow at the Mayor’s office:

As the holiday season approaches, I would like to remind everyone of
the important usage of wearing your seatbelt.  A resolution supporting
the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s (LHSC) efforts to increase
seat belt use in Louisiana was passed at the October LMA Officer and
Board Meeting in Baton Rouge. 

The Local Road Safety Program is partnering with LHSC to remind
everyone of the new law passed this year regarding seatbelt usage.  All
passengers in a motor vehicle must now buckle up including those in the
backseat. Recent horrific crashes, such as the one in Baton Rouge over
the Thanksgiving Holiday where five unbelted children were killed,
highlight the need for all drivers and passengers to buckle up.  A
recent serious accident in Central on Denham Rd in which the
driver was ejected should also serve as a reminder.

There are only 5 DAYS left to sign the ZIP CODE PETITION, which will help get a single zip code for the city of Central, which is currently home to 5 different zip codes. An effort is being made to get as many signatures as possible by December 15. That will get the petitions in before the upcoming census. We are still short by a lot of signatures, so please help by signing and getting your neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Sign the petition at Ross Tire, Computer Evolutions, or City Hall. You can also print out your own copy of the petition online. All signed petitions are due at City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce by next Tuesday, December 15.

7 companies put in bids for the construction that will be part of the Central Thruway Phase 2 project. The projected cost was about $9,300,000, but the lowest bidder, Gilchrist Construction, came in with an estimate closer to $7,700,000. There will be further discussion before this phase of construction actually begins.

Congratulations to Mr. T.J. Johnson, who was sworn in at Tuesday’s City Council meeting as the newest member of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

An ordinance to enact Chapter 12, Title 12, which relates to administrative hearings of code violations, was discussed at Tuesday’s council meeting. The aspects of the ordinance that were discussed involves a code of enforcement for disobedience of city ordinances, the establishment of hearings, a court of appeals, and a hearing officer specificaly for these code violations. Maximum fines for each ordinance are listed in each particular ordinance. We currently have a hearing officer who has volunteered to help get this process started until a permanent officer is put in place. The ordinance in question and the accompanying amendments were adopted by council vote.

The next City Council meeting is next Tuesday, December 15 at Kristenwood. The meeting begins at 6 PM. After the meeting, there will be a Christmas get together with refreshments. Council members and those who attend the meeting are welcome to stay for this.

The Central City Council will meet tonight (Tuesday, December 8) at 6 PM for a public hearing. The meeting will be held at Kristenwood on Greenwell Springs Road. The ordinance up for discussion concerns Chapter 12, Title 12, which relates to hearings of violations involving public health, environment, housing, building codes, and fire codes. Click HERE to read the full ordinance.

The following is an update letter from Senator David Vitter concerning legislation on annual mammograms:

This week I introduced  an amendment to the Senate  health care bill to prevent the
new United States Preventive Service Task Force recommendations  from restricting
yearly mammograms for women, and  I’m happy to report that the Senate has adopted my
amendment.

Many were worried when the USPSTF last month released a series of recommendations
that  stand in stark contrast to common-held cancer prevention practices.  They said
that women under the age of 50  should no longer get mammograms – a recommendation
which flies in the face of  everything that all women have been taught for decades.
And they advised against annual mammograms for those over  50.  

I  held a roundtable in  Louisiana on  this very topic last month and heard from a
number of survivors who credited  self-examinations and annual mammograms for the
early detection of their breast  cancer.  The bottom line is these new
recommendations could have a drastic and  negative impact on hundreds of thousands
of women,  and they should not be implemented.

My amendment was a  second degree amendment to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s
amendment to the bill.  Her  provision and the discussed alternatives do not
directly address the November  recommendations of the USPSTF that caused the
uproar.  But my amendment will keep the current standing recommendations in  place
and set aside those issued in November.

I will be sure to keep you up to date on this and other  efforts to protect access
to mammograms and other preventative treatment.

Next Tuesday, December 8 is the Central City Council public hearing concerning chapter 12 of title 12. This ORDINANCE involves hearings of various violations involving public health, environment, housing, building codes, and fire codes. The hearing will take place at 6 following the City Council meeting. View the full agenda for the council meeting HERE.

The ZIP CODE PETITION is still out. Sign it at Ross Tire or Computer Evolutions, or print one out for yourself and get your neighbors and coworkers to sign. Also, you can see a VIDEO about the petition online.

City of Central Public Works is still asking that, if you have called in a request with Public Works latel, you fill out an ONLINE SURVEY about your experience so that they know how their current system is working to serve Central residents.

The next Board of Adjustments meeting is next Thursday, December 10 at 5:30 PM with the Planning and Zoning meeting to follow at 6:00 PM. Both meetings will be held at Kristenwood on Greenwell Springs Road.

The Central city offices will be closed today, November 26, and Friday, November 27, in observation of the Thanksgiving holiday. The offices will be open as usual beginning on Monday at 8 AM.

The ZIP CODE PETITION is still a priority for the city. Visit Ross Tire or Computer Evolutions to sign the petition, or print one out from the website, sign it, and pass it on to family and friends. Petitions are due to the Central Chamber of Commerce or Central City Hall by December 15.

The next City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, December 8 at 5 PM, with a public hearing to follow at 6 PM. Both will be held at Kristenwood. Visit the Central government WEBSITE for details about the hearing.

The Board of Adjustments and Planning and Zoning Committee will meet on Thursday, December 10 at Kristenwood at 5:30 PM and 6 PM, respectively.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sign the ZIP CODE PETITION and pass it on to your friends and coworkers. Since it is online, you can also email it to other people. Ross Tire and & Car Care and Computer Evolutions both have petitions available for Central residents to stop by and sign, as well. It is important that we get as many signatures as possible so that the city of  Central can have its own zip code. This will help in keeping more sales taxes in Central and in getting a more accurate count when it comes to things like the census. Signed petitions are due at the Chamber of Commerce or City Hall by December 15. Be sure to turn in your signed petitions, even if it only has a couple of signatures on it.

The City Council will not have a meeting next week, as it will be Thanksgiving. The meeting schedule was adjusted for this, and the next meeting will be on December 8 at 5 PM at Kristenwood.

The Central City Council will hold a public hearing on December 8 at 6 PM at Kristenwood. The item up for discussion is an ordinance concerning violations of health, environment, fire, housing, and building code ordinances. Take a look at the full ordinance HERE.

The Central City Board of Adjustments and the Planning & Zoning Committee will meet tonight, November 19, at 5:30 PM and 6:00 PM, respectively. Meetings are held at Kristenwood on Greenwell Springs Road. You can view the AGENDA for the Planning & Zoning meeting online.

Check back here every Thursday for the weekly update from the city.

Help the city of Central get its own zip code by signing a petition to present to the U.S. Post Office. Ross Tire & Car Care and Computer Evolutions both have copies of the petition that Central residents can sign. The form is also available ONLINE so that you can print out the petition and get your friends, neighbors, and coworkers to sign it. To see a video segment about the zip code petition, go to the Central Government Website’s front page. Petitions are due by December 15 at the City Hall or the Chamber of Commerce. This deadline is so that we can try to get this process completed before the next census. For more details on this project, check out this ARTICLE.