BISMARCK, N.D. – The Bismarck Human Relations Committee will kick-off “Diversity University”, Putting “U” in Community, a series beginning Thursday, September 2, and continuing each week throughout the month of September through Thursday September 23, 2010. Each weekly event will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Bismarck Public Library, 515 North Fifth Street. The events are FREE of charge and the public is welcome and invited to attend.

September 2 – “The Brain is Part of the Body: Equal Treatment and Equal Opportunity”
A discussion on mental health issues. Presented by Susan Helgeland, Executive Director of Mental Health America of ND.

September 9 – “Overcoming Barriers: A Hispanic Perspective”
Presented by Emily Bonilla Gonzalez, Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Conservationist, Hispanic Emphasis Program Manager

September 16 – “A Place At the Table”
Attention to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) issues.
Presented by Brenda Eslinger

September 23 – To be Announced

The mission of the Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and to eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential.

For more information visit www.bismarck.org or call 701-355-1300.

BISMARCK, N.D. – How often has the doorbell rung or you have been interrupted you while you were cooking, causing you to forget about food you were cooking until smoke filled the house?  The Bismarck Fire Department responds on average to 3-5 cooking related fires each month.  While most only smoke up the house or apartment, the chances of having a devastating fire can be only moments away.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Latest statistics from NFPA say that one out of every three home fires started in the kitchen and more than 150,000 fires a year were related to cooking.  Most of these fires occur by leaving cooking unattended.

The bottom line is that there’s really no safe period of time for the cook to step away from a hot stove.

Key Cooking Safety Tips:
• Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven or microwave.
• Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (e.g. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging).
• Keep children away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of three feet around the stove.
• Keep pets from underfoot so you do not trip while cooking.
• Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger as the water turns to steam if the moisture in the mitt is heated.
• Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don’t remove the lid until it is completely cool. Never pour water on a grease fire and never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire, as it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire.
• If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent flames from burning you and your clothing.
• If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave. Call the fire department and make sure to have the oven serviced before you use it again. Food cooked in a microwave can be dangerously hot. Remove the lids or other coverings from micro waved food carefully to prevent steam burns.
• A cooking fire can quickly turn deadly.  Please heed these simple safety rules. For more information visit www.bismarck.org/fire

BISMARCK, N.D. – The Board of City Commissioners is scheduled to meet in regular session on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 5:15 p.m. in the Prairie Rose Meeting Rooms 104 and 105, Bismarck Civic Center Exhibit Hall, 315 South 5th Street, Bismarck, North Dakota.  The doors to the exhibit hall will open at 4:30 p.m. The public is asked to please make note of the change in location. 
 
For more information visit www.bismarck.org