Silvia Torres Bowman
(Photo courtesy of Southwest Illinois Trade & Investment Council)

Metro East trade mission to Mexico planned

“Discover Mexico” may sound like a cruise-ship holiday but Southwest Illinois Trade & Investment Council (SWITIC) Director Silvia Torres Bowman says it’s a serious effort to establish Metro East as an export center for customers south of the board.

The five-day outbound trade mission to Mexico City and surrounding industrialized areas, July 23-27, will offer Metro East entrepreneurs “customized” opportunities for one-on-one meetings with Mexican business leaders, according to Torres Bowman.

SWITIC is working with the State of Illinois’ Latin America & Caribbean Office and the Department of Commerce’s U.S. Commercial Service, both based in Mexico, as well as the International Trade Center at SIUE to coordinate trip specifics.

“Each participating company will have an interpreter and a driver,” said Torres Bowman. “Where we visit depends upon the individual participants and their specific needs.”

Ultimately, SWITIC hopes to establish formal memorandums of understanding (MOU) with manufacturing, entrepreneurial and trade-related organizations in Mexico, benefiting Metro Easts and its businesses, she adds.

The trade mission is open to both Metro East business people who currently export goods to Mexico and those who would like to start.

Fairview Heights-based Smart Controls LLC, which manufacturers automated building control systems, is an example of a Metro East business already exporting product globally, according to Torres Bowman.

For more information on how your company can participate in Discover Mexico, contact Torres Bowman at sitorre@siue.edu or call the International Trade Center at SIUE, (618) 650-2452.

The nonprofit Southwest Illinois Trade & Investment Council was established at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2015 to provide area businesses with the expertise and contacts necessary to begin or expand exporting their products.

The Mexican trade mission is one of many that the organization plans to help companies develop long-term relationships with global customers and partners.

For more information, contact Torres Bowman at sitorre@siue.edu or call the International Trade Center at SIUE, 618-650-2452.

The SafeTrek personal safety app is being offered to Metro Transit riders.

Metro offers commuters personal safety app

The Bi-State Development Agency is now offering Metro Transit riders a year of free cell phone app service that can be used to alert law enforcement agencies in event of emergencies.

The SafeTrek personal safety apps are being offered to allow public transit system riders to quickly report incidents on buses or MetroLink light rail trains, at Metro Transit Centers, or in the vicinity if bus stops or stations, according to a Bi-State press release.

The offer comes in the wake of several widely publicized incidents of violence on MetroLinks trains or boarding platforms over recent years.

However, the app, once activated, actually allows users to call first responders to virtually any location, across the St. Louis area or across the nation, should the need arise, Bi-State officials say.

One of numerous personal safety apps introduced to market over recent years, SafeTrek allows Android and iOS users the ability to discreetly press a “safe button” on their cell phones if they feel they are at risk.  If the button is released without further action by the user, a message is sent to local police with the app user’s name, emergency information and the location from which the alert was sent. SafeTrek dispatchers provide assistance from the time an alert is triggered until police arrive. If users cannot or do not wish to speak with dispatchers, they can text or even stay silent, and emergency help will still be dispatched.

If users feel any danger has passed they can release the button and enter a personal four-digit pin number to cancel the alert.

Metro riders can sign up for the SafeTrek personal safety application at SafeTrekApp.com/metro. After entering their cell phone number, commuters will be sent a link to download a version of SafeTrek that will provide a year of free service on their mobile devices.

SafeTrek will cost about $3 a month for those who wish to continue the service after the first year.

Edwardsville seeks suggestions for park system master plan

The City of Edwardsville is seeking community input for use in the development of a new Parks Master Plan. A pair of new online surveys have been launched by the Edwardsville Parks & Recreation Department to help gather community input on the town’s parks, facilities and programs.

One addresses general public interest in the Edwardsville part system; the other specifically targets facilities and programs for youth.

“This is an important step in the development of our Parks Master Plan and our continued efforts to provide park properties, facilities and recreational programs that are vital to our community,” said Edwardsville Parks & Recreation Director Robert Pfeiffer in an online announcement last week.

The Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department maintains municipal parklands and provides leisure and active recreation programming to promote the general health, welfare, and personal development of the citizens of the Edwardsville area.

The parks department staff is seeking input not just from Edwardsville residents but those in surrounding communities.  Parks department properties and programs are open to all residents of the Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7, staff members note.

“We want to hear from everyone,” Pfeiffer said.

The new Parks Master Plan will prioritize projects related to Edwardsville parks and amenities for the next ten years, as well as future recreation ideas and priorities.

The department’s community survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/edwardsvillecommunity

The youth survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/edwardsvilleyouth

Fountain of Youth Park in East St. Louis

Volunteers sought for East St. Louis park renovation

East St. Louis officials are hoping to have Fountain of Youth Park restored to original condition by the end of this month.

Located at Barack Obama Avenue and East Broadway, near City Hall, the park offers a fountain, benches and attractive stone walkways; but has fallen into disrepair since it was first constructed in 1990, city officials admit.

As part of the city’s Restoration of Hope project, public works crews and volunteers began clearing brush and cleaning the site earlier this month. Additional work days are set forApril 21 and 28.

Established three years ago to refurbish East St. Louis landmarks and public areas, the Restoration of Hope project has so far refurbished the “Welcome to the City of East St. Louis, IL” sign near 10th Street and Interstate 64, fixed a basketball court at the Samuel Gompers Homes and conducted various beautification projects around town.

Volunteers interested in the Fountain of Youth Park project or other Restoration of Hope efforts are asked to call the office of Mayor Emika Jackson-Hicks at 618-482-6601.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–