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Politics & Government

Public Safety Officials Recognized at Council Meeting

Webster Groves firefighter Doug Schneider and police officer John Christenson earned accolades from the City of Webster Groves on Tuesday.

Civics lessons were learned by all at Webster Groves' City Council meeting Tuesday night, especially by the dozens of elementary students from local schools, who saw two of the city's finest honored for their years of hard work and dedication to public safety.

Doug Schneider, who also serves the city as a paramedic, received the Firefighter of the Year award for 2010 in recognition of his 12 years of service with the Webster Groves Fire Department as a dependable leader and mentor to young firemen. In addition, Mayor Gerry Welch officially proclaimed Feb. 22 as "Doug Schneider Day" in Webster Groves.

Serving on the United States Secret Service Gateway Electronic Crime Task Force, playing a major role in the CALEA assessment process and being assigned as the Police Department's Computer Technology Manager, are just some of the things that has made John Christenson known in Webster Groves as having one of the highest levels of work production among patrol officers. His efforts also were recognized Tuesday night with the 2010 Police Officer of the Year award, as well as having Feb. 24 officially become "John Christenson Day" in Webster Groves.

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"John is really a great asset to the city, and represents the best of the department," Webster Groves Police Chief Dale Curtis said.

After the laurels subsided, several important matters were quickly voted into law.

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  • The ordinance to allow gas station convenience stores "to sell beer and wine only" came to its third and final reading and passed unanimously.
  • Council members also passed a bond issue to pay for major street improvements throughout the city. A referendum was passed by voters, which allows the city to borrow about $13 million to rebuild mainly concrete and some asphalt streets over the next three years, according to City Manager Steve Wylie.
  • The final issue of the evening before the closed session concerned the passing of a "Yield Right-of-Way" traffic law that, as Mayor Welch explains "makes it illegal for someone to pull out of their driveway, for example and not yield to the car coming down the street."
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