Last Sunday, Alton Square management sponsored a mass casualty drill for local emergency responders, including its own security members.

Deputy Chief Greg Bock, of the Alton Fire Department, spent a couple months meticulously planning every detail and enlisting live and manikin victims. He also rounded up a donation (lending) of 300 pieces of lumber from Lowe’s to serve as part of a dump truck’s ill-fated load. Bock also constructed a particleboard box “truck” that was to have crashed through the glass doors of the shopping center near the U.S. Post Office and injured 30, including himself, shoppers and police officers.

As with another mass casualty drill in 2001 at Alton Square, I arose early on a Sunday morning (usually my day off work), clocked in at The Telegraph shortly before 7 a.m. and drove to the shopping center. There always is a certain amount of suspension of reality in such drills, as everyone at the scene and everybody waiting at the fire station knows the “disaster” call is coming.

Participants also know there are no real victims, no real fires or dangerous gunmen and that their lives aren’t in danger. Also, we know that no reporters or photographers would be on hand to await the call and we wouldn’t know ahead of time what was to happen, as we did Sunday. Also, we members of the media certainly would have trouble getting inside that building in event of a crash of that magnitude.

That said, the drill was not about whether firefighters from Alton and the Godfrey Fire Protection District could show up, put out strobe-light “fires” and drag out the injured and dead from the piles of debris.

Its purpose was to ensure that the comand and control procedures officials have in place function effectively, particularly when it involves cooperation among several other agencies. Besides Alton police, mall security and the two fire deparments, other drill participants were Alton Memorial Ambulance Service, LifeStar Ambulance Service Inc., Madison County Emergency Management Agency, American Red Cross, Alton Memorial Hospital, Saint Anthony’s Health Center and LifeStar Ambulance Service.

At the same time, the drill prompted the first activation of the city’s Emergency Operations Center at the Alton Law Enforcement Center, for which city department heads and even aldermen received training. The mayor called in about a 10 city department heads and staff, Jack Quigley of the county’s EMA and Al Bertram of the Red Cross. Alton is one of a few communities in Southern Illinois which has come up with a plan, undergone training and now complies with provisions of the National Incident Management System. The drill, along with the preparation and training last year, enabled Alton to qualify for federal grant money for emergency equipment.

I am sure some people who read my account of the drill and the EOC activation in Monday’s edition of The Telegraph wondered about importance of the practice - or why the newspaper even covered it. It’s probably true that a terrorist won’t bomb a building in Alton, but the chance might be greater that they could do so in St. Louis and tax its fire, medical and police resources. In event of such an event, responders here could be rallied under the Mutual Aid Box System, NIMS and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System to assist the Missouri emergency responders.

Sunday as I watched the firefighters perform their drill duties - less complicated and safer than what they face in real life many days - I thought about the scenarios that more likely would require such a multi-agency response: Certainly a truck could hit a crowd of people in Alton, perhaps diners at one of the sidewalk cafes or people watching one of the parades in the city. The escalator at Alton Square could fail and toss a dozen people to the main floor. A gas line could explode at a school, City Hall, a hospital or any building Downtown with dozens of employees inside.

More thinking: One of the excursion boats making its way up the Mississippi River or docked at Riverfront Park - including Argosy Casino - could have a fire, explosion or both. (Argosy does hold such drills with local police and firefighters each year, but never have allowed media coverage inside). The “big one” (earthquake) that the late Iben Browning had predicted for the New Madrid fault in 1990 - with disastrous rumblings here - also could hit the area. And, although I keep hearing that tornadoes never hit Alton, I was born and raised in Nebraska and believe tornados know no boundary lines in the Midwest. Two of them hit Edwardsville within the first few years after my family had moved there. That’s not that far from Alton.

These are just a few plausible events I thought of that could happen, without even bringing in crime scenarios.

Covering this drill fits with my biggest reason for doing any story - it’s something readers need or may want to know about. Secondly, in this instance, people driving by Alton Square saw all the trucks and might have wondered what all the commotion was about. They would look for an explanation in Monday’s paper or online.

Anyway, it’s interesting to me to see how emergency responders would set up a command center, public information centers and physically handle the rescue or recovery and treatment of victims. Reading about this planning should give everyone some peace of mind, even if they don’t like to think about disasters this close to home.

Alton will have its biggest annual event that draws EVERYONE, “Right here in River City,” on October 31. (Unlike some area towns that have their version on other days or nights).

The 91st annual Halloween Parade will begin at 7:30 p.m. just east of Washington Avenue on East Broadway. It will take an hour to proceed west down Broadway to Market Street, giving everyone a chance to park themselves at their favorite spots.

For those who want to have even more fun, show up at Alton Plaza (by the Alton Law Enforcement Center) for the costume contest. What would Halloween be without costumes? If you are too old to trick or treat, this is the way to still have some fun and maybe win some cash.

The East End Improvement Association once again is sponsor of the parade, comprised of volunteers who put in countless hours in preparation and on the night of the event. Debra Frakes is this year’s Parade Committee chairman.

Each year the parade committee selects a marshal from a list of nominations from the public. This year’s marshal is a familiar face, William Kessler of Grafton, former president and chief executive officer of Saint Anthony’s Health Center.

I am sure the committee would appreciate suggestions for future parade marshals. Who would you nominate for the honor? It may be someone who does volunteer work for the community or who has otherwise added to quality of life in Alton. E-mail them to me and I’ll pass them along, I might even add a name or two of people I think should be on the list. What a great honor!

And before I sign off, let’s give some recognition to young artist Vicky Cacciottoli, an Alton High junior who designed this year’s winning Halloween poster.

It’s always fun to do a story (see the Oct. 21 print Telegraph) on these talented students in Lexa Browning-Needham’s classes who create amazing work each year for the contest. If you haven’t seen Vicky’s poster, look around town when you are shopping locally. (I still think it makes the Clark Bridge look like spider webs, but she said she didn’t plan it that way - cool!) Her poster is Alton all the way, except for maybe the witch…

Have fun at the parade, I’ll be dressed as Lois Lane.

I’ve attended two meetings this week in the Alton City Hall, walking up the steps of the old building and entering the “new” government center. Each time I give some thought to the changed surroundings.

For those who haven’t ventured to 101 E. Third St. since City Hall re-opened in February, new and old mesh comfortably throughout the building. The grand staircase in the middle is familiar - albeit spiffed up - but the orange wall setting it off from behind wasn’t there last year.

Two previously neglected, ornate antique light fixtures that construction workers removed from the now gone, two-story auditorium, drop dramatically above the stairs. They seem to fit in well in their second round of service to the city.

What should please preservationists is that architectural details - such as ornate dentils above the doors that once blended into obscurity by matching bland walls around them - are painted in several colors so they really stand out. In older buildings in particular, it’s all about the details.

I’ve written extensively about the improvements in the building as the $3+ million in work progressed. You have to see it in person, though, to take in the full effect and to form an opinion as to whether you like the results or not.

What do you think? Or should the city have incurred considerably more expense and built a new City Hall?

On the “down” side of New City Hall, so far the biggest complaints I’ve heard are:

* The “monster,” as officials refer to the massive wooden podium in City Council Chambers that is difficult to move out of the way and has some electrical connection issues. On Monday, Mayor Don Sandidge asked the tableful of offiicals that the “monster” blocked from his view to stand up when speaking so they could be heard by the full council. Apparently help is on the way…. someday?

* The massive staircase that leads from the newly renovated City Hall parking lot south to Easton Street behind Gentelin’s On Broadway is attractive and makes it safer for people wanting to make the shortcut climb - or descent. The accompanying block wall that was built out from the old crumbling limestone one, which badly needed shoring up, also makes the hillside more secure.

However, for some odd reason , there is a 6-foot-wide stretch of pavement outside the 33-inch-tall railing that runs along the length of most of the parking lot. I have seen people climb over to the “perch” to take pictures of the riverfront from my vantage point by a window on the third floor of The Telegraph. Some officials have expressed concern that young skateboarders might try out the wall top and fall to suffer serious injuries. Actually, anyone could slip or lose his or her balance and take a tumble down the grassy hill, then another 10 feet down a couple of walls. So, stay off of it!

A landscape designer from Chicago met with Alton Park and Recreation Executive Director Mike Drake on July 25 concerning extending rails to cover gaps on the east and west ends, and possibly to install large planters to discourage people from getting on the top surface. They haven’t arrived yet.

At Monday’s meeting of the Committee of the Whole, 7th Ward Alderman David Boulds asked if the rail extensions would be up in time for an April 12 Alton Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau reception for Abraham Lincoln Presenters. “I would like to see them up by then,” he said.

Why? Alcohol will be served at the event on the parking lot, with none to be allowed inside City Hall. Boulds, a retired firefighter/paramedic, didn’t want anyone to fall and get hurt.

I don’t know what precautions they will take concerning the stairs….

Sandidge said several months ago that the city will hold a dedication and open house once the parking lot/wall portion of the project is finished. So far, they haven’t given notice of the ceremony’s time and date.

I’m back here in “river city” after enjoying the sun, sand, peace among the tall pines and good conversation with some like-minded people also visiting the coast of South Carolina. Already I miss the gently pounding waves of the Atlantic Ocean, whose waters were both stress-relieving and invigorating - and still so warm during the last week of September.

Trees covering the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains had not started turning their brilliant fall colors as of last week. It still was breath-taking to drive east on Interstate 40 as I entered North Carolina shortly after sunset.

The giant silver moon was a few days from being full. Its bright glow helped illuminate the highway from far above to my left as I drove, with the light falling on the jagged, treed surfaces of the mountains. The beautiful scene was reminiscent of the classic Ansel Adams photograph, “Moon and Half Dome,” that he took at Yosemite Park.

Unfortunately, it was too dangerous for me to stop, take a picture and create my own “masterpiece.”

I thought of that mountain beauty when I returned to work Monday (October 1) and saw a large, old-style tourist cruise boat docked in Alton on the mighty Mississippi River. Perhaps some Carolinians were spending their vacation marveling at the big old muddy river, the beautiful limestone bluffs in this area and the silvery Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Apparently it was a slow news week in Alton while I was gone.

I do note the death of retired Fire Chief Donald Dugan, who dedicated much of his life to public service and whom I respected.

I wrote his retirement story in June 2000 after working with him for more than two years. He was “old school” as far as working with the pesky media, but he still allowed ample information to be released. He invited me to several department luncheons celebrating retirements and once for the ceremonial signing of a new union contract. He greeted me at a few post-retirement events where we ran into each other, as we had gotten past any “rough spots.”

Although no longer chief, he continued providing helpful input to his successors and his longtime friend Alton Mayor Don Sandidge in the years after his retirement, sometimes by telephone from his vacation home at Lake of the Ozarks. The fire department remained in his heart.

Telegraph inside scoop:

* One operational aspect of The Telegraph that many sources and readers don’t understand is our “beats,” which generally designate what reporters cover which stories. While not chisled in Southern Illinois limestone, generally I cover Alton city news - from government to fires, some businesses and traffic crashes - Argosy casino, Hayner Public Library District, Alton Housing Authority and when Madison County Housing Authority actions involve Alton properties. I consider this the most interesting of all the beats at the newspaper, as it provides a variety of types of stories. There is always something going on in Alton! No boredom here!

* All reporters do features, particularly about people from their “territories.” We have someone covering schools, another reporter covers Madison County courts, and the others have beats comprised of various counties or towns. Professional courtesy dictates that reporters respect others’ beats and pass on news tips or ask if the other person minds if he or she does a story on the other reporter’s “territory.” That explains why someone who calls with a news tip might get switched to another reporter.

* For anyone who is interested, I began writing for The Telegraph in February 1992 as a free-lancer, mainly covering Edwardsville city government and schools, but also going to live events throughout the area on weekends. I joined the staff full-time in September 1995 as the education reporter, and 2.5 years later the editor transferred me to the Alton city beat.

* In the past I worked for the Edwardsville Journal, did free-lance writing for various clients and also worked in public relations. I am a native of Omaha, Nebraska and earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the School of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.