October 23, 2023 • 28 mins
Clint Girlie speaks with Cris Swaters from the Springfield Police Department about some Halloween Safety tips for kids, parents and drivers. Then, he’s joined by Melanie Stinnett from Arc of the Ozarks to talk about their sensory friendly trick-or-treating event, as well as how to better understand how holidays affect those with autism and other disabilities.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hello, and welcome to a showthat we call iHeart the Ozarks. This
is a half hour long program thatit is across all five of our iHeart
Radio stations here in Springfield every Sundayand of course streams on our iHeartRadio app
on demand anytime you want it.My name is Clinton Gurley. I am
the VP of Programming, which isa very fancy title to just say.
(00:20):
I'm just one of the people hereat iHeart Radio and Springfield excited that you're
joining us today because this show specificallydrills down, usually on a certain topic
or institution or organization or just agroup of people that are doing a bunch
of good in our community, andwe really get a chance to examine what
they do and kind of get afront row seat to making our community better
(00:42):
and then maybe spread the word alittle bit about what they do and if
you feel led to get you moreinvolved with it. Today's show it's going
to be less on the nonprofit sideand more on the themed side. As
we are a couple of days outfrom Halloween, there are some events still
happening this weekkend, but also inthe next couple days with Halloween coming up
here on a weekday that we wantto make sure get highlighted first and foremost.
(01:06):
We're going to be joined by ChrisSwaters, who is in charge of
public relations and communications for the SpringfieldPolice Department, which is obviously here in
Springfield. We're going to talk alittle bit about Halloween safety, driver safety,
just some things to be aware ofif you've got kids that are going
to be out, and about triggertreating, and kind of how the police
handle a holiday like Halloween where youknow, you've got a lot of extra
(01:30):
people out and about on the roads, walking around, and it's dark,
and it's costumes, and one ofthe questions I've always wanted to ask is
how do the police handle, youknow, costumes that are made to look
like not so friendly elements, theyare pretend weapons and these kinds of things.
So excited to talk with her,In fact, we're going to do
that here in just a couple ofseconds. Also going to be joined by
(01:53):
Melanie stintch is from the Arc ofthe Ozarks. We're going to talk a
little bit about I think a partof Halloween that we never really address because
in our minds it's not really athing that happens, but for some it's
what happens every Halloween and every majorholiday, and that is a sensory friendly
holiday, and especially one like Halloweenwhere the scenes and lights are all made
(02:15):
to be titillating and a little youknow, on that scarier side. How
does a community that needs that holiday, or any holiday to be sensory friendly,
how does that happen? So excitedto talk to her, but first
excited now to be joined by,as I mentioned, Chris Waters from the
Springfield Police Department, who is anold friend from years and years gone by.
(02:36):
However, a very professional lady,and in fact, what is your
title over there with the Springfield PoliceDepartment now, Public affairs officer. I'm
glad to be talking to you.Yeah, in charge of like all the
communication that the Springfield Police Department does. Right. Absolutely, you'll see me
on TV, anything you see onsocial media, that'll be me. Anything
(02:59):
we put out on the internet everywherecows for me. So as we get
closer and a couple days away nowfrom Halloween, do you guys at the
Springfield Police Department kind of focus upa little bit on, Like, all
right, we got this holiday comingup. There's gonna be a lot of
kids around like what do you guysdo over there at the Springfield Police Department
to get ready for Halloween. You'llsee a lot of stuff out on social
(03:22):
media as we get closer to Halloween, just reminding people of ways that they
can go out and be safe.They can enjoy the holiday, but also
do it in a safe way.Yeah, and I know that that when
we've had officers on before talking aboutlike, yeah, just Halloween safety,
a lot of it comes off ascommon sense. But if it was that
common sense, there wouldn't be theneed to talk about it, and there
(03:44):
wouldn't be the things that we seehappen on Halloween all the time, right,
So it definitely bears worth repeating.So when we talk about, you
know, Halloween safety, what arewe talking about? Like what should parents'
kids all be aware of as wehead into this holiday. The first thing
you really think about is like,you know, trick or treating. That
is something it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun to go
out and do on Halloween night.So there's just it's after dark, so
(04:09):
a lot of costumes are really dark. Bring a flashlight, put some flashers
on your kids, like little lights, led lights, glow sticks, anything
that can help you stand out inthe dark so that people who are driving
can see you, other people cansee you. Visibility is just really really
(04:30):
important. And if you're walking andsomebody doesn't have their lights on at their
house, go on to the nexthouse. Stick to those well lit areas
and well lit houses when you gotrick or treating. I know, for
a lot of kids, Halloween isn'tjust about hitting their neighborhood, but there's
other neighborhoods they travel to. It'slike Halloween tourism essentially all over Springfield,
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you know, is that something thepolice are kind of aware of a lot
of people traveling around on the roadsand being maybe less pedestrian and more mobile
in cars and stuff. Do youguys see an increase in traffic and incidents
that come with that? Of course, And I'm sure anybody who's been around
Springfield for any amount of time kindof knows those kind of knows those neighborhoods
(05:18):
that tend to attract a lot ofindividuals who aren't from those neighborhoods that come
trick or treating, and it's alot of fun. There's a lot of
people. But yes, if youare driving in those areas, really anywhere
on Halloween night, be aware ofwhat's around you. One put down those
distractions, the cell phone, textmessage. It's important all the time,
(05:42):
but it is especially important, youknow, on Halloween when there is just
a lot of pedestrian traffic. Yeah, it's a really good reminder. Chris
Waters from the Springfield Police Department,in charge of communications and all things pr
over there joining us here on iHeartthe Ozarks. So as we talk about
the police department, this is somethingI've always wondered. Halloween comes, and
(06:04):
I mean my kids are this year. One of them is a cheerleader,
the other one's dressing up as afootball player. I know that for a
lot of other kids, though,Halloween means yes, finally I get to
wear the scary mask. And I'mnot judging any kid or parent for any
Halloween costume they wear. Does itget difficult for the police department on Halloween
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with so many costumes that look likea grisly scene or fake weapons, fake
knives? Like, how does thepolice department mitigate these costumes that are certainly
made to simulate scary things without youknow, reacting to them in a way
(06:48):
where they're legitimately scary things. Doyou think about this from just another holidays
perspective? Fourth of July there's alot of fireworks. Fireworks can sound like
gunshots. We get a lot ofcalls on the Fourth of July for fireworks
that maybe gunshots. Officers will goout, they will respond, they will
(07:10):
always look into those situations. It'sthe same thing applies on Halloween. If
somebody calls nine one one because theysee something that looks like something an officer
should respond to. If it isa particularly gruesome costume, if you're not
sure that someone is hurt, callnine one one. Let an officer respond
and ensure that that situation is safe. So you guys aren't dissuading people or
(07:34):
asking people to exercise too much cautionwhen it comes to still reporting things that
seem unseemly on a holiday like Halloween. Absolutely, if you see something suspicious
or something, if somebody looks likethey need help, absolutely call us.
But there is an element of,you know, looking at the context of
(07:58):
the situation. If it's a personwho is dressed in gruesome clothing but they're
also surrounded by someone dressed as Bluey, you know there might be some context
there that might indicate that that personisn't actually in need of assistance. So
when we talk about trick or treatingand being out and about on the roads,
is there any kind of like,hey man, we probably shouldn't have
kids pass this time, Like arethe police are you guys patrolling essentially for
(08:24):
kids being out too late at acertain point. Because it is on a
weeknight this year, there isn't acurfew in Springfield, so trick or treaters
can theoretically be out trick or treatingas long as they like. Really,
where you run into it is ata certain time. The people at houses
who are handing out that candy there, they'll turn the lights off. And
(08:46):
at that point, if you're stillwalking around, obviously you should respect the
homeowners and if their lights are off, don't walk up to that house.
Okay, So if you were talkingto a group of parents and kids,
I remember I had to talk atmy daughter's elementary school a couple years ago
in front of all the kids,and it's not like they were going to
listen to me. They were justall excited to be in the same room
(09:07):
at the same time. But ifyou've got a chance to talk to all
the kids and just kind of recap, like, here's what you need to
do, according to the Springfield PoliceDepartment, to be safe as you can
be on Halloween. What would youtell them. I think we'll say we'll
say there's three safety tips that willgive them. The first one is take
(09:30):
a grown up. Make sure thereis an adult somewhere in your vicinity,
someone who has trusted, if somebodyif you get into trouble that you can
go and talk to. Make surethat you have high visibility something on,
whether it's high visibility clothing or youhave some glow sticks, a flashlights,
something that makes you easier to see. And then just use good situational awareness.
(09:54):
If you're walking down a street andyou feel uncomfortable, walk walk somewhere
else, or find a buddy.Go with a buddy that way, if
you feel uncomfortable, you have someonewho's there with you. Awesome stuff,
Chris, anything else going on policedepartment wise, we should know about here
as we head towards a crazy tosay this, but the end of twenty
(10:15):
twenty three, you know, wekind of talked about it earlier talking about
drivers, and I think I wantto give some tips to drivers. Yeah
you can. Oh, I wouldlove it. I give tips to them
every time I'm driving around. Sowell, hopefully these are a little bit
nicer than those tips that you mighthave. I gotcha, So so we'll
(10:37):
see you know, watch out forpedestrians. It's a two way street,
and of course pedestrians need to bewatching out for cars as well, but
drivers it is their primary responsibility tomake sure that they are not distracted while
they're driving, to look out forthe things that are around them. That
is not a call that we wantto have to respond to on Halloween or
(11:00):
any time. But just really payattention to where you're going. If that
is just one thing that I canreally make sure that the community as a
whole really takes from this. It'sjust take your time, put down the
distractions, and get where you're goingsafely. Awesome. Chris Wanders from the
Springfield Police Department joining us here oniHeart the Ozarks. Thanks for taking some
(11:24):
time. I know we had tojuggle I think kids' schedules to make it
happen, but I'm glad we madeit happen, Chris, because it's always
great to see you. So goodto see you too. Clint. Once
again, my name Clint Gurly.This is a show called iHeart the Ozarks.
It's a half hour long show thatfocuses in on a community group or
effort or maybe event happening around here. And we do this show every weekend.
Today it's the Halloween episode. There'snothing scary, by the way about
(11:48):
it, but certainly, having justnow talked to the Springfield Police Department about
some Halloween safety tips, we arewell on our way into Halloween. We're
a couple of days away, althoughthere are some Halloween events happening still this
weekend. And so joining me nowfrom Ark of the Ozarks is Melanie Stinnant.
I said that right, you did. Absolutely. I've never made a
mistake ever, so that doesn't surpriseme. Thanks man. What do you
(12:11):
do over at Ark of the Ozarks. Yeah, so I am the vice
president of Therapy Services and I manageall the speech, occupational, physical,
and music therapy services we provide.That's a lot of things to manage.
Arc of the Ozarks does a lotof things. For those who don't know,
can you give maybe just a briefoverview about what Arc of the Ozarks
(12:33):
is, what it's all about.And what it does for this community.
Sure, Arc of the Ozarks servesa wide variety of individuals with disabilities,
from services that I just mentioned forpediatrics, but also in residential homes for
adults. They have education and recreationprograms for individuals with disabilities, employment services.
(12:56):
They even have a food truck aroundtown. So a lot of different
services and ways for them to reachindividuals with disabilities and help them be a
part of their community. And howare you guys connected with families or individuals
in need of the services you offer? It varies. Sometimes for our therapy
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services we get a referral from aphysician or a trusted community member. Sometimes
families just call us directly. Andthere's also some other organizations within our state
but also our community that work withindividuals with disabilities maybe in another way,
and they refer to us, werefer to them, So it's really varied.
(13:37):
You guys, are you have apretty big presence across the Ozarks?
Right? I know? I think, aren't you guys kind of over there
by the Pithian Castle at least inSpringfield a little bit? But you guys
are all over we are we are, So we have one location over by
the Pythian Castle. We have alocation on Elfindale where we have our Rivendale
(13:58):
Autism School and other program services.And then we also are opening in January
of twenty twenty four and Autism andNeurodevelopmental Center off of Nettleton near kind of
the Fort and Battlefield area, andhave a building here where I'm located right
now on Fort Avenue as well.So really expanding in Springfield, but also
(14:20):
have locations in Monette, Joplin,and Kansas City. Yeah. I played
in a golf tournament for the Arkof the Ozarks in Monette, and I
want you to know, Melanie thatI believe our team finished in last place.
Oh well, you know, everyone'sthe winner when you come to a
charity golf tournament. It was agood day. It was on a weekday,
(14:41):
like I got off of work,like it was very nice. Oh
nice, and your staff out thereand everybody was super kind, and I
think everybody had a really good time. So I'm excited to play in that
again next year. Moving forward herethough, not about my golf game,
which we could spend an entire halfhour talking about. That's fine with me.
I don't want to do that,want to talk. First of all,
you guys do have an event comingup. It's a sensory friendly trick
(15:05):
or treating event. And when Isaw those words put together, it's kind
of like a light bulb in myhead went off. And I will not
claim to be the smartest guy ormost observant, but it was like,
oh, my goodness, of coursea Halloween trick or treat normal ish event,
(15:26):
right. You take the kids outaround, they're walking up to houses
that are strobe lights are meant tolook scary or titillating. The holiday itself
is built on that, and fora lot of the population, that is
not what we need it to be. And so when I heard sensory friendly
(15:46):
and trick or treating together, Iwas like, that makes so much sense.
So let's first talk just about theevent, but then I want to
get into a little bit about youknow, this being sensory friendly and that
stuff. Sure, So the eventis from three to seven o'clock and we
have time slots available, so ifyou haven't signed up, you need to
(16:07):
go to our Facebook page and clickon the event and sign up for a
slot. We do that so thatfamilies are kind of spread out. We
don't have big crowds and yeah,just come and we have candy and non
candy items. So for kids whohave food sensitivities or allergies, we have
those non food items which are reallyimportant and they can come and go through
(16:29):
the event, play some games,have some snacks, build some community with
some other families that have special needsin their family as well. Still get
a chance to participate in a thinguniversally kind of accepted write and participated in
and not being excluded. And Ilove everything about that because I feel like
everybody deserves a chance to be apart of the thing, regardless of what
(16:53):
the thing is. So that's supercool. Yeah, we've really built this
event where you can bring your wholefamily. What we found many times is
that a child with a disability maybe kind of isolated from even some of
their siblings. Where a family maytake their you know, family members who
don't have a disability to a differentevent and then take their family member that
(17:14):
has a disability to kind of aquote special event. We really want this
event to be fun for the wholefamily. They can all come together and
all enjoy that as a family groupinstead of having it split up. It's
so cool man. I love whatyou guys do. I really like I
try to be not objective, butat least a little bit professional and not
be the guy who's like, man, that's just so great. But it's
hard for me because I really dolove the work that you guys do.
(17:37):
There are other organizations obviously in townthat seek to do similar things in different
aspects of like Special Olympics that we'rereally involved with. It is my favorite
thing to see a community, regardlessof what somebody either physically or developmentally or
or mentally the cards that they've beendealt, that we all get to still
(17:59):
play the same game. And Ilove it absolutely. So that's amazing.
You mentioned that they could be apart. It's at the shrine. It's
at the Shrine marsk Yes, Andif somebody wanted to sign up for that,
maybe they're just hearing about it,like, oh my gosh, this
is exactly what we need. Howdo they get more info? Where do
they sign up? Again? Soyou can go to the Arc of the
Ozarks facebook page or our Therapy herefacebook page which is our pediatric therapy clinic,
(18:23):
and just click through the links andyou can sign up on event bright
you can also search for the eventon event bright if that's easier, and
it's free for a family. Youjust need one ticket per family to sign
up and come by. How hasthe response been so far, Well,
we've had this event in years pastand typically we have between five and six
(18:45):
hundred people individuals show up. It'sa really well attended event. And my
favorite thing about that is every yearwe hear from someone that this was the
first time their child had ever beenable to trick or treat. You know,
you mentioned how challenged it can bewhen you're going from house to house
and you're talking to strangers. Alot of these kids have a lot of
challenges with talking to new people oryou know, it's dark and it's scary
(19:08):
and those types of things. Sothis gives them the opportunity to participate,
and hopefully it's a practice ground wherethey can practice all of these things,
saying trick or tree, meeting strangers, and maybe that'll encourage them to have
the opportunity on Halloween to give ita try. Melanie Stint is the vice
president of like eight thousand Things forArc of the Ozarks here in Springfield.
(19:32):
We're talking about a Halloween event theyhave coming up. It's a sensory friendly
Halloween event. Having to get theshrine mosque later on today you can go
to the Ark of the Ozarks Facebookpage, Ortharecare dot com or org so
the Arc of Theozarks dot org gotit and get all the information about it
there and then sign up. Becauseit is a you got to pick some
you got to pick a time outand bring the family. But everybody's welcome,
(19:52):
regardless of disability or not, whichI love keeping everybody together. You
mentioned how well attended this event hasbeen in past years and expecting the same
for this year. That certainly suggeststhat the therapies and other services that you
all offer at Arc of the Ozarksare a much needed thing within this community.
(20:15):
And like I mentioned earlier with thelight bulb moment I had where it
was like sensory friendly trick or treating. Of course, of course that would
have to be a thing and needsto be a thing. How do holidays
like this typically affect the folks andclients that you guys have at Arc of
the Ozarks, Because I'd really liketo understand that better. So, children
(20:36):
with autism and other disabilities often havechallenges with changes in routine and we don't
think about that often, but ifyou think of any holiday, there's typically
a change in routine. At school, they're having different parties and get togethers
that kind of throw things out ofwhack. Holidays we have out of school
and we're traveling to go see familyor eating foods that are unique that we're
(20:59):
not always having at our homes,different things, So holidays can be a
very stressful time for individuals that havedisabilities and just paying attention to those things
that are challenging for them, tryingto find ways to adjust. We also
have a sensory safe Easter egg hunt, and it's the same type of thing.
If you think of putting kids ina line and just letting them run
(21:21):
out into a field and grabbing eggsand all of that stress. You know,
any of those big events with alot of people, a lot of
noise can be really hard. Bouncehouses, cotton candy machines, just all
of it adds to something that feelssomewhat chaotic to children with disabilities. Many
times. Yeah, and you thinkabout, I mean, how many fall
festivals have how many have I alreadybeen to with my kids this year,
(21:44):
and how many more am I goingto attend? And then certainly Thanksgiving holiday
and Christmas coming up. All thatto say, you know, in a
couple of days, Dad's going tobe dressed like bono from you too,
Like that's a big change in routineas well. Yes, how can we
like my family, we don't haveanyone in children or adults with a disability
(22:06):
or are on any part of thespectrum for autism or anything, But how
can we I guess what information dowe need to be a little bit more
sensitive towards those who do? Sureso if someone shows up at your door
and maybe grabs into your bowl ofcandy a little aggressively and wants a little
bit more than you think they shouldhave, maybe understanding that they may not
(22:27):
understand those social cues and how togo about trick or treating. We also
have now what's called the teal pumpkininitiative, where if you put a teal
pumpkin out in front of your house, then people will know that you're aware
of food sensitivities and analergies, andmaybe you'll have non candy treats to give
out. So that may be somethingas simple as like sticker sheets or you
(22:51):
know, maybe pencils or something funfor kids that's not candy, because we
have quite a few children who havemany, many allergies and just can't participate
in an event like that. Sothe teal pumpkin, I think is a
really great addition to Halloween and somethingwe've seen really get some traction over the
past few years. But just beinggracious, I think that's really the name
(23:15):
of the game in our culture,in our society right now anyway. If
someone acts in a way that youdon't expect, just be gracious and kind
and know that they may have somechallenges that you're just not aware of.
This is the perfect segue into metelling my four year old son, you
need to go upstairs and play withthat buddy, because he's doing it right
here as you're talking. I'm reallytrying to focus in, but he's got
(23:40):
he's playing keepy Uppi with his balloonand it's very distracting over here. Melanie
Stint from Ark of the Ozarks.Here you talk to the teal pumpkin.
This is the first I've ever heardof this, And again another light bulb
moment. Of course, there shouldbe some kind of signifier to parents of
kids who may not get a chanceto trick treat like every other kid.
(24:02):
So do you just paint a pumpkinteal colored? And then you put it
out and then have some stuff that'snot candy, So you can paint a
pumpkin teal or they're at a lotof stores now you can find a teal
pumpkin. So if you just kindof look around town, go to hobby
lobby or wherever you like to shop, and there are more teal pumpkins than
you probably realized, and they've probablybeen out but maybe not your favorite color
(24:26):
for Halloween, so you didn't knowwhy you needed one. Well, yeah,
I mean I love everything about this. It's one of those things where
it's like, of course, that'sthe thing. Why didn't I not that?
Why didn't I think of it?But why wasn't I ever aware of
it before? And I'm super gladwe're getting a chance to talk about this.
So, yeah, teal pumpkin,that's a great idea. And then
you would suggest stickers, pencils werekids like, I know, my kids
(24:48):
like the candy. So having ahard time getting out of my bubble here.
If you go to stores, they'llhave kind of Halloween owls with non
candy treat items. So I meanthink of things like the little fingers with
the you know, kind of spookyfingers or spiders or I mean there's tons
of Halloween type things that you cangive and same thing, you know when
Easter rolls around, putting things andeggs that aren't you know, aren't candy.
(25:12):
So it's really it's one of thethings that I think is most unique
and exciting about these events and thesetimes is we can offer this to families,
but also like you're giving me theopportunity to educate and allow people to
understand a little bit more about whatthese families go through. Yeah. Yeah,
I'm gonna have to get on tomy wife, who is allergic to
(25:34):
a lot of different foods. Forher not knowing being a part of that
community, I feel like it's lesson me and more on her at this
point. So I'm gonna to makesure I'm going to educate her on it
and feel like for once I've gotthe upper hand in this household here.
So mel Lenny, what else dowe need to know about Arca the Ozarks
(25:56):
here? So we've got a coupleof minutes left, anything else coming up
with you guys, how can weas a community be involved in some amazing
work that you all are doing.Sure right now, our Autism and Neurodevelopmental
Center is probably the most important thingthat we're talking about. This is going
to be an autism diagnostics center forour region. It's something that our area
(26:18):
really hasn't had and it's much needed. We already have about five hundred people
on our wait list wow, thatwe are starting to work through now,
but officially opening in our new buildingin January. And we do have a
capital campaign that you can you canfind on our website where if you want
to donate to the cause and helpus provide these services for these children in
(26:38):
our community. We would love foryou to be a part of that with
us. Amazing and so arkatthiozarks dotorg is the website for all the information
not just about the sensory friendly holidayevents, including one happening later this afternoon,
but also info about what sounds likea much needed and overdo center for
(26:59):
neuroscience and autism right here in Springfield, which five hundred people really on a
waiting list. Yes, wow,that's incredible. Well, thanks for being
here and thanks for I mean,you talk about educating, I feel like
I just got I thought I wasjust talking about Halloween and it was going
to be fun. But there's beensome really amazing stuff that's come out of
this. Melanie. We'll have youback on here soon to do a full,
(27:22):
like half hour let's get into theminutia of what you guys do and
what you're dealing with here in theOzarks especially, But for now, have
a great Halloween, and thanks forbeing a part of this. Thanks so
much, have a great day.It's Melanie Stinnett from Arc of the Ozarks
and a huge thank you to her. Also Chris Waters from the Springfield Police
Department on earlier, talking a littleHalloween safety for the kids and parents and
(27:47):
drivers and everybody here in this communityas we get ready for one of the
most fun but also potentially, youknow, maybe one of the more unsafe
or sensory unfriendly holidays. To youlistening, thank you for being here and
being a part of today's show.This episode, along with all the others
that we do every Sunday, isavailable on our iHeartRadio app just search iHeart
(28:08):
theos Aren't You can listen back tothis episode as well. As every other
episode we've done with some great organizationsand some really great information. So for
myself, Clint Girdley, and therest of our staff here at iHeartRadio in
Springfield, have a great rest ofyour day and happy Halloween.
Hello, and welcome to a showthat we call iHeart the Ozarks. This
is a half hour long program thatit is across all five of our iHeart
Radio stations here in Springfield every Sundayand of course streams on our iHeartRadio app
on demand anytime you want it.My name is Clinton Gurley. I am
the VP of Programming, which isa very fancy title to just say.
(00:20):
I'm just one of the people hereat iHeart Radio and Springfield excited that you're
joining us today because this show specificallydrills down, usually on a certain topic
or institution or organization or just agroup of people that are doing a bunch
of good in our community, andwe really get a chance to examine what
they do and kind of get afront row seat to making our community better
(00:42):
and then maybe spread the word alittle bit about what they do and if
you feel led to get you moreinvolved with it. Today's show it's going
to be less on the nonprofit sideand more on the themed side. As
we are a couple of days outfrom Halloween, there are some events still
happening this weekkend, but also inthe next couple days with Halloween coming up
here on a weekday that we wantto make sure get highlighted first and foremost.
(01:06):
We're going to be joined by ChrisSwaters, who is in charge of
public relations and communications for the SpringfieldPolice Department, which is obviously here in
Springfield. We're going to talk alittle bit about Halloween safety, driver safety,
just some things to be aware ofif you've got kids that are going
to be out, and about triggertreating, and kind of how the police
handle a holiday like Halloween where youknow, you've got a lot of extra
(01:30):
people out and about on the roads, walking around, and it's dark,
and it's costumes, and one ofthe questions I've always wanted to ask is
how do the police handle, youknow, costumes that are made to look
like not so friendly elements, theyare pretend weapons and these kinds of things.
So excited to talk with her,In fact, we're going to do
that here in just a couple ofseconds. Also going to be joined by
(01:53):
Melanie stintch is from the Arc ofthe Ozarks. We're going to talk a
little bit about I think a partof Halloween that we never really address because
in our minds it's not really athing that happens, but for some it's
what happens every Halloween and every majorholiday, and that is a sensory friendly
holiday, and especially one like Halloweenwhere the scenes and lights are all made
(02:15):
to be titillating and a little youknow, on that scarier side. How
does a community that needs that holiday, or any holiday to be sensory friendly,
how does that happen? So excitedto talk to her, but first
excited now to be joined by,as I mentioned, Chris Waters from the
Springfield Police Department, who is anold friend from years and years gone by.
(02:36):
However, a very professional lady,and in fact, what is your
title over there with the Springfield PoliceDepartment now, Public affairs officer. I'm
glad to be talking to you.Yeah, in charge of like all the
communication that the Springfield Police Department does. Right. Absolutely, you'll see me
on TV, anything you see onsocial media, that'll be me. Anything
(02:59):
we put out on the internet everywherecows for me. So as we get
closer and a couple days away nowfrom Halloween, do you guys at the
Springfield Police Department kind of focus upa little bit on, Like, all
right, we got this holiday comingup. There's gonna be a lot of
kids around like what do you guysdo over there at the Springfield Police Department
to get ready for Halloween. You'llsee a lot of stuff out on social
(03:22):
media as we get closer to Halloween, just reminding people of ways that they
can go out and be safe.They can enjoy the holiday, but also
do it in a safe way.Yeah, and I know that that when
we've had officers on before talking aboutlike, yeah, just Halloween safety,
a lot of it comes off ascommon sense. But if it was that
common sense, there wouldn't be theneed to talk about it, and there
(03:44):
wouldn't be the things that we seehappen on Halloween all the time, right,
So it definitely bears worth repeating.So when we talk about, you
know, Halloween safety, what arewe talking about? Like what should parents'
kids all be aware of as wehead into this holiday. The first thing
you really think about is like,you know, trick or treating. That
is something it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun to go
out and do on Halloween night.So there's just it's after dark, so
(04:09):
a lot of costumes are really dark. Bring a flashlight, put some flashers
on your kids, like little lights, led lights, glow sticks, anything
that can help you stand out inthe dark so that people who are driving
can see you, other people cansee you. Visibility is just really really
(04:30):
important. And if you're walking andsomebody doesn't have their lights on at their
house, go on to the nexthouse. Stick to those well lit areas
and well lit houses when you gotrick or treating. I know, for
a lot of kids, Halloween isn'tjust about hitting their neighborhood, but there's
other neighborhoods they travel to. It'slike Halloween tourism essentially all over Springfield,
(04:56):
you know, is that something thepolice are kind of aware of a lot
of people traveling around on the roadsand being maybe less pedestrian and more mobile
in cars and stuff. Do youguys see an increase in traffic and incidents
that come with that? Of course, And I'm sure anybody who's been around
Springfield for any amount of time kindof knows those kind of knows those neighborhoods
(05:18):
that tend to attract a lot ofindividuals who aren't from those neighborhoods that come
trick or treating, and it's alot of fun. There's a lot of
people. But yes, if youare driving in those areas, really anywhere
on Halloween night, be aware ofwhat's around you. One put down those
distractions, the cell phone, textmessage. It's important all the time,
(05:42):
but it is especially important, youknow, on Halloween when there is just
a lot of pedestrian traffic. Yeah, it's a really good reminder. Chris
Waters from the Springfield Police Department,in charge of communications and all things pr
over there joining us here on iHeartthe Ozarks. So as we talk about
the police department, this is somethingI've always wondered. Halloween comes, and
(06:04):
I mean my kids are this year. One of them is a cheerleader,
the other one's dressing up as afootball player. I know that for a
lot of other kids, though,Halloween means yes, finally I get to
wear the scary mask. And I'mnot judging any kid or parent for any
Halloween costume they wear. Does itget difficult for the police department on Halloween
(06:27):
with so many costumes that look likea grisly scene or fake weapons, fake
knives? Like, how does thepolice department mitigate these costumes that are certainly
made to simulate scary things without youknow, reacting to them in a way
(06:48):
where they're legitimately scary things. Doyou think about this from just another holidays
perspective? Fourth of July there's alot of fireworks. Fireworks can sound like
gunshots. We get a lot ofcalls on the Fourth of July for fireworks
that maybe gunshots. Officers will goout, they will respond, they will
(07:10):
always look into those situations. It'sthe same thing applies on Halloween. If
somebody calls nine one one because theysee something that looks like something an officer
should respond to. If it isa particularly gruesome costume, if you're not
sure that someone is hurt, callnine one one. Let an officer respond
and ensure that that situation is safe. So you guys aren't dissuading people or
(07:34):
asking people to exercise too much cautionwhen it comes to still reporting things that
seem unseemly on a holiday like Halloween. Absolutely, if you see something suspicious
or something, if somebody looks likethey need help, absolutely call us.
But there is an element of,you know, looking at the context of
(07:58):
the situation. If it's a personwho is dressed in gruesome clothing but they're
also surrounded by someone dressed as Bluey, you know there might be some context
there that might indicate that that personisn't actually in need of assistance. So
when we talk about trick or treatingand being out and about on the roads,
is there any kind of like,hey man, we probably shouldn't have
kids pass this time, Like arethe police are you guys patrolling essentially for
(08:24):
kids being out too late at acertain point. Because it is on a
weeknight this year, there isn't acurfew in Springfield, so trick or treaters
can theoretically be out trick or treatingas long as they like. Really,
where you run into it is ata certain time. The people at houses
who are handing out that candy there, they'll turn the lights off. And
(08:46):
at that point, if you're stillwalking around, obviously you should respect the
homeowners and if their lights are off, don't walk up to that house.
Okay, So if you were talkingto a group of parents and kids,
I remember I had to talk atmy daughter's elementary school a couple years ago
in front of all the kids,and it's not like they were going to
listen to me. They were justall excited to be in the same room
(09:07):
at the same time. But ifyou've got a chance to talk to all
the kids and just kind of recap, like, here's what you need to
do, according to the Springfield PoliceDepartment, to be safe as you can
be on Halloween. What would youtell them. I think we'll say we'll
say there's three safety tips that willgive them. The first one is take
(09:30):
a grown up. Make sure thereis an adult somewhere in your vicinity,
someone who has trusted, if somebodyif you get into trouble that you can
go and talk to. Make surethat you have high visibility something on,
whether it's high visibility clothing or youhave some glow sticks, a flashlights,
something that makes you easier to see. And then just use good situational awareness.
(09:54):
If you're walking down a street andyou feel uncomfortable, walk walk somewhere
else, or find a buddy.Go with a buddy that way, if
you feel uncomfortable, you have someonewho's there with you. Awesome stuff,
Chris, anything else going on policedepartment wise, we should know about here
as we head towards a crazy tosay this, but the end of twenty
(10:15):
twenty three, you know, wekind of talked about it earlier talking about
drivers, and I think I wantto give some tips to drivers. Yeah
you can. Oh, I wouldlove it. I give tips to them
every time I'm driving around. Sowell, hopefully these are a little bit
nicer than those tips that you mighthave. I gotcha, So so we'll
(10:37):
see you know, watch out forpedestrians. It's a two way street,
and of course pedestrians need to bewatching out for cars as well, but
drivers it is their primary responsibility tomake sure that they are not distracted while
they're driving, to look out forthe things that are around them. That
is not a call that we wantto have to respond to on Halloween or
(11:00):
any time. But just really payattention to where you're going. If that
is just one thing that I canreally make sure that the community as a
whole really takes from this. It'sjust take your time, put down the
distractions, and get where you're goingsafely. Awesome. Chris Wanders from the
Springfield Police Department joining us here oniHeart the Ozarks. Thanks for taking some
(11:24):
time. I know we had tojuggle I think kids' schedules to make it
happen, but I'm glad we madeit happen, Chris, because it's always
great to see you. So goodto see you too. Clint. Once
again, my name Clint Gurly.This is a show called iHeart the Ozarks.
It's a half hour long show thatfocuses in on a community group or
effort or maybe event happening around here. And we do this show every weekend.
Today it's the Halloween episode. There'snothing scary, by the way about
(11:48):
it, but certainly, having justnow talked to the Springfield Police Department about
some Halloween safety tips, we arewell on our way into Halloween. We're
a couple of days away, althoughthere are some Halloween events happening still this
weekend. And so joining me nowfrom Ark of the Ozarks is Melanie Stinnant.
I said that right, you did. Absolutely. I've never made a
mistake ever, so that doesn't surpriseme. Thanks man. What do you
(12:11):
do over at Ark of the Ozarks. Yeah, so I am the vice
president of Therapy Services and I manageall the speech, occupational, physical,
and music therapy services we provide.That's a lot of things to manage.
Arc of the Ozarks does a lotof things. For those who don't know,
can you give maybe just a briefoverview about what Arc of the Ozarks
(12:33):
is, what it's all about.And what it does for this community.
Sure, Arc of the Ozarks servesa wide variety of individuals with disabilities,
from services that I just mentioned forpediatrics, but also in residential homes for
adults. They have education and recreationprograms for individuals with disabilities, employment services.
(12:56):
They even have a food truck aroundtown. So a lot of different
services and ways for them to reachindividuals with disabilities and help them be a
part of their community. And howare you guys connected with families or individuals
in need of the services you offer? It varies. Sometimes for our therapy
(13:16):
services we get a referral from aphysician or a trusted community member. Sometimes
families just call us directly. Andthere's also some other organizations within our state
but also our community that work withindividuals with disabilities maybe in another way,
and they refer to us, werefer to them, So it's really varied.
(13:37):
You guys, are you have apretty big presence across the Ozarks?
Right? I know? I think, aren't you guys kind of over there
by the Pithian Castle at least inSpringfield a little bit? But you guys
are all over we are we are, So we have one location over by
the Pythian Castle. We have alocation on Elfindale where we have our Rivendale
(13:58):
Autism School and other program services.And then we also are opening in January
of twenty twenty four and Autism andNeurodevelopmental Center off of Nettleton near kind of
the Fort and Battlefield area, andhave a building here where I'm located right
now on Fort Avenue as well.So really expanding in Springfield, but also
(14:20):
have locations in Monette, Joplin,and Kansas City. Yeah. I played
in a golf tournament for the Arkof the Ozarks in Monette, and I
want you to know, Melanie thatI believe our team finished in last place.
Oh well, you know, everyone'sthe winner when you come to a
charity golf tournament. It was agood day. It was on a weekday,
(14:41):
like I got off of work,like it was very nice. Oh
nice, and your staff out thereand everybody was super kind, and I
think everybody had a really good time. So I'm excited to play in that
again next year. Moving forward herethough, not about my golf game,
which we could spend an entire halfhour talking about. That's fine with me.
I don't want to do that,want to talk. First of all,
you guys do have an event comingup. It's a sensory friendly trick
(15:05):
or treating event. And when Isaw those words put together, it's kind
of like a light bulb in myhead went off. And I will not
claim to be the smartest guy ormost observant, but it was like,
oh, my goodness, of coursea Halloween trick or treat normal ish event,
(15:26):
right. You take the kids outaround, they're walking up to houses
that are strobe lights are meant tolook scary or titillating. The holiday itself
is built on that, and fora lot of the population, that is
not what we need it to be. And so when I heard sensory friendly
(15:46):
and trick or treating together, Iwas like, that makes so much sense.
So let's first talk just about theevent, but then I want to
get into a little bit about youknow, this being sensory friendly and that
stuff. Sure, So the eventis from three to seven o'clock and we
have time slots available, so ifyou haven't signed up, you need to
(16:07):
go to our Facebook page and clickon the event and sign up for a
slot. We do that so thatfamilies are kind of spread out. We
don't have big crowds and yeah,just come and we have candy and non
candy items. So for kids whohave food sensitivities or allergies, we have
those non food items which are reallyimportant and they can come and go through
(16:29):
the event, play some games,have some snacks, build some community with
some other families that have special needsin their family as well. Still get
a chance to participate in a thinguniversally kind of accepted write and participated in
and not being excluded. And Ilove everything about that because I feel like
everybody deserves a chance to be apart of the thing, regardless of what
(16:53):
the thing is. So that's supercool. Yeah, we've really built this
event where you can bring your wholefamily. What we found many times is
that a child with a disability maybe kind of isolated from even some of
their siblings. Where a family maytake their you know, family members who
don't have a disability to a differentevent and then take their family member that
(17:14):
has a disability to kind of aquote special event. We really want this
event to be fun for the wholefamily. They can all come together and
all enjoy that as a family groupinstead of having it split up. It's
so cool man. I love whatyou guys do. I really like I
try to be not objective, butat least a little bit professional and not
be the guy who's like, man, that's just so great. But it's
hard for me because I really dolove the work that you guys do.
(17:37):
There are other organizations obviously in townthat seek to do similar things in different
aspects of like Special Olympics that we'rereally involved with. It is my favorite
thing to see a community, regardlessof what somebody either physically or developmentally or
or mentally the cards that they've beendealt, that we all get to still
(17:59):
play the same game. And Ilove it absolutely. So that's amazing.
You mentioned that they could be apart. It's at the shrine. It's
at the Shrine marsk Yes, Andif somebody wanted to sign up for that,
maybe they're just hearing about it,like, oh my gosh, this
is exactly what we need. Howdo they get more info? Where do
they sign up? Again? Soyou can go to the Arc of the
Ozarks facebook page or our Therapy herefacebook page which is our pediatric therapy clinic,
(18:23):
and just click through the links andyou can sign up on event bright
you can also search for the eventon event bright if that's easier, and
it's free for a family. Youjust need one ticket per family to sign
up and come by. How hasthe response been so far, Well,
we've had this event in years pastand typically we have between five and six
(18:45):
hundred people individuals show up. It'sa really well attended event. And my
favorite thing about that is every yearwe hear from someone that this was the
first time their child had ever beenable to trick or treat. You know,
you mentioned how challenged it can bewhen you're going from house to house
and you're talking to strangers. Alot of these kids have a lot of
challenges with talking to new people oryou know, it's dark and it's scary
(19:08):
and those types of things. Sothis gives them the opportunity to participate,
and hopefully it's a practice ground wherethey can practice all of these things,
saying trick or tree, meeting strangers, and maybe that'll encourage them to have
the opportunity on Halloween to give ita try. Melanie Stint is the vice
president of like eight thousand Things forArc of the Ozarks here in Springfield.
(19:32):
We're talking about a Halloween event theyhave coming up. It's a sensory friendly
Halloween event. Having to get theshrine mosque later on today you can go
to the Ark of the Ozarks Facebookpage, Ortharecare dot com or org so
the Arc of Theozarks dot org gotit and get all the information about it
there and then sign up. Becauseit is a you got to pick some
you got to pick a time outand bring the family. But everybody's welcome,
(19:52):
regardless of disability or not, whichI love keeping everybody together. You
mentioned how well attended this event hasbeen in past years and expecting the same
for this year. That certainly suggeststhat the therapies and other services that you
all offer at Arc of the Ozarksare a much needed thing within this community.
(20:15):
And like I mentioned earlier with thelight bulb moment I had where it
was like sensory friendly trick or treating. Of course, of course that would
have to be a thing and needsto be a thing. How do holidays
like this typically affect the folks andclients that you guys have at Arc of
the Ozarks, Because I'd really liketo understand that better. So, children
(20:36):
with autism and other disabilities often havechallenges with changes in routine and we don't
think about that often, but ifyou think of any holiday, there's typically
a change in routine. At school, they're having different parties and get togethers
that kind of throw things out ofwhack. Holidays we have out of school
and we're traveling to go see familyor eating foods that are unique that we're
(20:59):
not always having at our homes,different things, So holidays can be a
very stressful time for individuals that havedisabilities and just paying attention to those things
that are challenging for them, tryingto find ways to adjust. We also
have a sensory safe Easter egg hunt, and it's the same type of thing.
If you think of putting kids ina line and just letting them run
(21:21):
out into a field and grabbing eggsand all of that stress. You know,
any of those big events with alot of people, a lot of
noise can be really hard. Bouncehouses, cotton candy machines, just all
of it adds to something that feelssomewhat chaotic to children with disabilities. Many
times. Yeah, and you thinkabout, I mean, how many fall
festivals have how many have I alreadybeen to with my kids this year,
(21:44):
and how many more am I goingto attend? And then certainly Thanksgiving holiday
and Christmas coming up. All thatto say, you know, in a
couple of days, Dad's going tobe dressed like bono from you too,
Like that's a big change in routineas well. Yes, how can we
like my family, we don't haveanyone in children or adults with a disability
(22:06):
or are on any part of thespectrum for autism or anything, But how
can we I guess what information dowe need to be a little bit more
sensitive towards those who do? Sureso if someone shows up at your door
and maybe grabs into your bowl ofcandy a little aggressively and wants a little
bit more than you think they shouldhave, maybe understanding that they may not
(22:27):
understand those social cues and how togo about trick or treating. We also
have now what's called the teal pumpkininitiative, where if you put a teal
pumpkin out in front of your house, then people will know that you're aware
of food sensitivities and analergies, andmaybe you'll have non candy treats to give
out. So that may be somethingas simple as like sticker sheets or you
(22:51):
know, maybe pencils or something funfor kids that's not candy, because we
have quite a few children who havemany, many allergies and just can't participate
in an event like that. Sothe teal pumpkin, I think is a
really great addition to Halloween and somethingwe've seen really get some traction over the
past few years. But just beinggracious, I think that's really the name
(23:15):
of the game in our culture,in our society right now anyway. If
someone acts in a way that youdon't expect, just be gracious and kind
and know that they may have somechallenges that you're just not aware of.
This is the perfect segue into metelling my four year old son, you
need to go upstairs and play withthat buddy, because he's doing it right
here as you're talking. I'm reallytrying to focus in, but he's got
(23:40):
he's playing keepy Uppi with his balloonand it's very distracting over here. Melanie
Stint from Ark of the Ozarks.Here you talk to the teal pumpkin.
This is the first I've ever heardof this, And again another light bulb
moment. Of course, there shouldbe some kind of signifier to parents of
kids who may not get a chanceto trick treat like every other kid.
(24:02):
So do you just paint a pumpkinteal colored? And then you put it
out and then have some stuff that'snot candy, So you can paint a
pumpkin teal or they're at a lotof stores now you can find a teal
pumpkin. So if you just kindof look around town, go to hobby
lobby or wherever you like to shop, and there are more teal pumpkins than
you probably realized, and they've probablybeen out but maybe not your favorite color
(24:26):
for Halloween, so you didn't knowwhy you needed one. Well, yeah,
I mean I love everything about this. It's one of those things where
it's like, of course, that'sthe thing. Why didn't I not that?
Why didn't I think of it?But why wasn't I ever aware of
it before? And I'm super gladwe're getting a chance to talk about this.
So, yeah, teal pumpkin,that's a great idea. And then
you would suggest stickers, pencils werekids like, I know, my kids
(24:48):
like the candy. So having ahard time getting out of my bubble here.
If you go to stores, they'llhave kind of Halloween owls with non
candy treat items. So I meanthink of things like the little fingers with
the you know, kind of spookyfingers or spiders or I mean there's tons
of Halloween type things that you cangive and same thing, you know when
Easter rolls around, putting things andeggs that aren't you know, aren't candy.
(25:12):
So it's really it's one of thethings that I think is most unique
and exciting about these events and thesetimes is we can offer this to families,
but also like you're giving me theopportunity to educate and allow people to
understand a little bit more about whatthese families go through. Yeah. Yeah,
I'm gonna have to get on tomy wife, who is allergic to
(25:34):
a lot of different foods. Forher not knowing being a part of that
community, I feel like it's lesson me and more on her at this
point. So I'm gonna to makesure I'm going to educate her on it
and feel like for once I've gotthe upper hand in this household here.
So mel Lenny, what else dowe need to know about Arca the Ozarks
(25:56):
here? So we've got a coupleof minutes left, anything else coming up
with you guys, how can weas a community be involved in some amazing
work that you all are doing.Sure right now, our Autism and Neurodevelopmental
Center is probably the most important thingthat we're talking about. This is going
to be an autism diagnostics center forour region. It's something that our area
(26:18):
really hasn't had and it's much needed. We already have about five hundred people
on our wait list wow, thatwe are starting to work through now,
but officially opening in our new buildingin January. And we do have a
capital campaign that you can you canfind on our website where if you want
to donate to the cause and helpus provide these services for these children in
(26:38):
our community. We would love foryou to be a part of that with
us. Amazing and so arkatthiozarks dotorg is the website for all the information
not just about the sensory friendly holidayevents, including one happening later this afternoon,
but also info about what sounds likea much needed and overdo center for
(26:59):
neuroscience and autism right here in Springfield, which five hundred people really on a
waiting list. Yes, wow,that's incredible. Well, thanks for being
here and thanks for I mean,you talk about educating, I feel like
I just got I thought I wasjust talking about Halloween and it was going
to be fun. But there's beensome really amazing stuff that's come out of
this. Melanie. We'll have youback on here soon to do a full,
(27:22):
like half hour let's get into theminutia of what you guys do and
what you're dealing with here in theOzarks especially, But for now, have
a great Halloween, and thanks forbeing a part of this. Thanks so
much, have a great day.It's Melanie Stinnett from Arc of the Ozarks
and a huge thank you to her. Also Chris Waters from the Springfield Police
Department on earlier, talking a littleHalloween safety for the kids and parents and
(27:47):
drivers and everybody here in this communityas we get ready for one of the
most fun but also potentially, youknow, maybe one of the more unsafe
or sensory unfriendly holidays. To youlistening, thank you for being here and
being a part of today's show.This episode, along with all the others
that we do every Sunday, isavailable on our iHeartRadio app just search iHeart
(28:08):
theos Aren't You can listen back tothis episode as well. As every other
episode we've done with some great organizationsand some really great information. So for
myself, Clint Girdley, and therest of our staff here at iHeartRadio in
Springfield, have a great rest ofyour day and happy Halloween.
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