photocredit: twitter.com

BY: RACHEL SMITH

It’s almost that time of year again.  The time where visitors flock to our area, often for lengthy visits.  The time where our streets are busier, where our population increases drastically.  Another spring, summer and fall are on the horizon, filled with fantastic events, camping fun, the 4th of July Extravaganza, and so much more!

But with this influx of fun, comes an abundance of people.  And while we LOVE the extra bodies milling around town, shopping in our stores and eating at our restaurants; it also comes with added responsibility.

Safety.

We strive to keep our visitors and locals as safe as possible.

The Clear Lake Area Chamber, along with Visit Mason City, is hosting a Tourism Summit on Thursday, April 4th.  The event, held at the North Iowa Events Center is FREE for the public to attend.  It will be an afternoon of networking and education as we prepare for another great season of tourism in our area.

At 1:30PM, attend the Active Shooter Preparedness Program.  Not something pleasant to think about – but something we all need to think about.  It can happen to anyone, anywhere, whether you’re in a big city or a small town.  Police Chief Jeff Brinkley from the Mason City Police Department will present this educational program to help attendees prepare for and respond to an active shooter incident.

Then, at 3:30PM, there will be Tourism Updates & Partner Discussion, where you can hear what’s new in 2019, learn about road construction plans, and be updated on all things tourism in the area.

To attend, please RSVP by March 22nd to:

Visit Mason City

2021 4th St. SW

Mason City, IA 50401

vmc@VisitMasonCityIowa.com

641-422-1663

Another great event you may want to consider is the Clear Lake Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Program.  This particular class will be offered on two separate occasions:

  1. Monday, April 8th from 4-6PM

OR

  1. Tuesday, April 9th from 11:30-1:30.

This FREE class is mostly tailored to hotel, gas station, & restaurant front line employees.  However, the public is also welcome to sign up.

Food and course materials will be provided!

You’ve all seen the stories, whether on social media or elsewhere, about people who have been followed while in retail stores.  Those stories are just the tip of the iceberg in the global epidemic of human trafficking.  Sadly, this type of thing happens all too often, and not every story ends on a happy note.  If lessons learned in this class save even one person from being thrown into the underbelly of human trafficking – it’s worth it.  So please, register by April 3rd by emailing libbey@clearlakeiowa.com

Don’t let someone you know become a statistic.  Education and awareness can save lives.