Burleson earns Let's Move gold medals

The National League of Cities recognized Burleson for achieving gold medals in all five Let's Move! Cities, Towns and Counties goal areas. Those areas are based on achievements made to improve access to healthy, affordable food and promote physical activity for children and adults. The City is focusing on community trails, play spaces, and streets to increase walkability and bikeability citywide. Local partners who were integral in achieving this goal include Arts Unlimited Southwest, Burleson Independent School District, CASA of Johnson County, Cooks Children's Hospital, Family Crisis Center, H-E-B Grocery, Hand in Hand, Harvest House, Hill College, Johnson County Alliance for Healthy Kids, Sam's Club, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and Texas Health Huguley Hospital. Burleson was one of 23 cities and counties honored nationwide. Launched in 2010, LMCTC is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's comprehensive Let's Move! Initiative. More 

Police will look out for you during

Black Friday shopping

Holiday shopping, especially Thanksgiving weekend, can be chaotic. But the Burleson Police Department is there to help you. The police will be patrolling retail parking lots - including Gateway Station, South Towne Crossing and Walmart Supercenter - when you hit the stores for Black Friday specials on Thanksgiving Day and on Friday, Nov. 28. Law enforcement's focus is on the major shopping areas. Teams of Citizens on Patrol (COPs) members will be out in force. The traffic unit will be on the lookout for unsafe driving in an attempt to prevent crashes. That enforcement includes drivers who fail to yield right-of-way to drivers exiting the highway. Traffic officers will also be working traffic control at congested retail driveways. What can you do? The Burleson Police Department advises everyone to stay alert and pay attention to who is around you. More

Most City facilities close Nov. 27-28

City of Burleson facilities, with the exception of public safety, will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27-28, in observance of Thanksgiving. There will be no trash or curbside recycling collection on Nov. 27. Trash will be collected on the next Monday, Dec. 1. The curbside recycling will be collected on your next scheduled day. Hidden Creek Golf Course will close at 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The Senior Activity Center and the Compost/Mulch/Recycle Center will be open Nov. 29. If you want to drop off the curbside recycling that was not collected on Thanksgiving Day, please stop by the Compost/Mulch/Recycle Center on Nov. 29. The center is located behind Fire Station #2. More  

Turn in coloring contest entries today

Get out those crayons and colored pencils. The City of Burleson's parks and recreation department is looking for some talented third graders who are also Burleson residents to participate in the annual holiday coloring contest. The Christmas coloring contest flier is available on the City website. Two children - one lucky boy and one lucky girl - will be selected to ride with Santa Claus in the Burleson Rotary Club's Parade of Lights on Saturday, Dec. 6. The parade steps off from Kerr Middle School at 6 p.m. The two winners will also help turn on the lights at the City's Christmas tree lighting at 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the corner of Johnson Avenue and Ellison Street. The deadline is today, Nov. 26. More  

Public safety hosts Heart for the Kids benefit game Dec. 13

This year's benefit game for Heart for the Kids will be a little different. Burleson Police, Burleson Fire, and the Crowley Fire Department are banding together to form two teams to hit the donations out of the park . . . all to make sure that families who need help can put toys and clothing under the Christmas tree. The bats will be cracking Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. at Hidden Creek Sports Complex, 295 E. Hidden Creek Pkwy. Admission is one unwrapped toy. Heart for the Kids will distribute the donated items to families the week of Dec. 14.This is the 13th year that the Burleson Professional Fire Fighters Association Local #4025 and Burleson Police Officers Association have hosted the event. More  

Sign up for Breakfast with Santa

The big guy from the North Pole is hosting the City's 15th annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 6, 7 a.m.-11 a.m., at the BRiCk. The event is geared to children from birth to 12 years old (children 2 and younger get in free). Saint Nick's elves will be cooking up and serving breakfast. Santa will be in the Winter Wonderland until 11 a.m. to hear Christmas wishes, so bring your camera. Stop by Santa's workshop to make holiday crafts. Advance tickets are available at the BRiCk now, or you can buy them at the door Dec. 6. Advance tickets are $4 for children and $5 for adults. Tickets at the door are $5 for children, $7 for adults. More 

Get your Christmas crafts Dec. 6

You don't want to miss this. Stop by the Burleson Senior Activity Center on Saturday, Dec. 6, for the Christmas Craft Fair. The fair takes place 9 a.m.-2 p.m. and showcases one-of-a-kind handmade items - sewn creations, art, jewelry and more - from area vendors. This is a great time to get that special gift for friends and relatives. The center is located at 216 S.W. Johnson Ave., next to the Burleson Post Office. If you are a crafter and you are interested in selling your unique handmade items, call the Burleson Senior Activity Center at 817-295-6611. Booth spaces range from $10 to $15.

Flashing yellow arrow signals mean yield to oncoming traffic

If the yellow arrow is flashing, YIELD. There are flashing yellow arrow lights at five intersections on Hwy. 174 - Hillery Street, Renfro Street, Ellison Street, Newton Drive and Summercrest Boulevard. If the yellow arrow signal is flashing, drivers may turn left AFTER YIELDING to oncoming traffic and pedestrians in the crosswalk. The green arrow means that vehicles turning left have the right-of-way. The red arrow means to stop and wait (do not enter the intersection to turn) and the yellow arrow means prepare to stop. Watch for the signs above the signal lights that provide the reminder to yield. Please, make sure that friends and relatives who are coming in to town for the holidays are aware of the changes that were made to the signal lights in September. See a diagram of the signalization change. Let's be careful out there! 

Fireworks are the big finale

Fireworks will light up the sky in Old Town Burleson on Saturday, Dec. 6, to serve as the big finale for a day full of Christmas festivities. The Burleson Rotary Club is hosting the Parade of Lights that steps off from Kerr Middle School at 6 p.m. on Dec. 6. Santa will be on that last Parade of Lights float. His final stop for the day is the corner of Johnson Avenue and Ellison Street, which will be bustling with dancers and singers entertaining the parade crowd. The big finale is at 7 p.m., at that same corner, with the lighting of the City's Christmas tree and a firework show choreographed to holiday music. More 

Ani-Meals helps your neighbors and pets

If you want to make a difference in the life of an elderly or homebound resident and their pets, become a part of the Ani-Meals pet food program. Ani-Meals is a partnership between Meals-on-Wheels of Johnson and Ellis counties and area animal shelters that began in 2009. Ani-Meals was started because Meals-on-Wheels staff and volunteers found that the homebound elderly clients were sharing their own meals with their pets because they could not afford to buy pet food. The Burleson Animal Shelter helps coordinate the program and stores the donated pet food. On the first Saturday of each month, Meals-on-Wheels volunteers meet at the Burleson Animal Shelter on John Jones Drive to pick up and deliver the donated pet food to 10 to 20 Meals-on-Wheels recipients in Burleson. If you want to donate pet food, toys, or treats, call the animal shelter at 817-426-9283 for more information.

Set another place at Thanksgiving

When you're shopping for all of the ingredients for your family's Thanksgiving feast, please buy enough to include another place at the table. That place could be for your neighbor who just lost his/her spouse, a co-worker whose children are grown and gone, a friend who can't make it home for the holiday, or a fellow church member who has fallen on hard times. Invite them to the table, play those old-fashion games that cross all generations, and watch football (even if you don't cheer for the same team). Start some new traditions and make some memories

Hang out at Russell Farm & meet

the Rein Donkey 

Get your picture taken with Joey, the "Rein-Donkey," during the three-day Christmas at Russell Farm festivities. The City's 30-acre historic farm at 405 W. County Road 714 is the site for fun Dec. 18-20. The hours on Thursday and Friday are 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Saturday's hours are 2 p.m.-8:30 p.m. The festivities are free. More