Are you prepared for Old Man Winter?

Keep an eye on the weather this weekend. Meteorologists are predicting snow/sleet/rain today with possible freezing rain on Saturday. Stock up on kitty litter to help you get to your car and to give your car traction. Stop by the gas station early today and fill up the tank. Make sure your outdoor pipes are wrapped. Leave the water in your indoor faucets trickling to prevent the pipes from bursting. And, bring your pets indoors. They don't like the cold/wind/sleet any more than you do! If the predictions come true and we do see frozen precipitation from Old Man Winter, please drive carefully. 

Start the new year off by saving lives!

Sign up now and start the new year off by saving lives! Carter BloodCare and the City of Burleson will be hosting

a blood drive on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the city hall parking lot at 141 W. Renfro St. Carter BloodCare is a provider of blood components and transfusion services for north, central and east Texas. Approximately 1,100 blood donors a day are critical to meeting the community's need. Are you eligible to donate? You must be at least 16 years of age (must have written parental consent); bring a valid photo ID; weigh at least 110 pounds; and you must be feeling well and healthy on the day of donating. Check out the blood donation FAQs on the Carter BloodCare website, then sign up for the City's Jan. 13 blood drive. For more information call Deidre Hall in the City's Human Resources department at 817-426-9642 or call Carter BloodCare at 1-888-480-8200 or Metro 817-412-5603. 

What do you think about noise?

Have you had a chance to hear about the City's proposed noise ordinance and give your input? If not, stop by the Burleson City Hall council chambers on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Police Chief Billy Cordell and City staff - police, neighborhood services, parks and recreation, public works, legal, and municipal court - will be on hand to present the proposed changes, take your input and answer your questions. The proposed changes include daytime and nighttime hours and recommended appropriate decibel levels in residential, commercial and industrial zoning districts. This is a link to Chief Cordell's Nov. 25 presentation to community members at the BRiCk. The proposed changes were Item 4F on the Nov. 10 council agenda. City hall is located at 141 W. Renfro St. 

Valentine dance tickets are on sale now

The City's parks and recreation department is hosting their annual Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Valentine Dance at the BRiCk on Saturday, Feb. 7. There will be two times, 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m., so if your little ones need to be home in bed they can attend the first dance while the older ones attend the second. The fun includes pictures, corsages, dinner, dancing, and games. The games aren't just for the children! Parents, start practicing now for the three-legged race and the limbo. Pre-event tickets are $16 per couple ($8 per person) and were available at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd., starting yesterday. If you wait until Feb. 7 to buy your tickets, the cost is $25 per couple or $12.50 per person. For more information about the sweetest dance, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104.

And we have a $100 winner!

Getting a $100 credit to your City utility account (water/trash/curbside recycling) is pretty sweet right after Christmas! The January bank draft winner is Billy F. Sanders. The drawing is an incentive for utilizing the bank draft feature to pay your City of Burleson utility account. All customers who choose (or currently use) this option are entered into the monthly drawing. Sign up now so you have a chance to be one of the prize winners this fiscal year. Simply fill out an application online,or stop by the Utility Customer Service office located at Burleson City Hall, 141 W. Renfro St., 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The staff can start the process to automatically debit your checking account for your utility statement balance. For more information, call 817-426-9601.

BARSEA hosts Connect with Council

The Burleson Area Retired School Employee Association will host Connect with Council on Monday, Jan. 12. Mayor Ken Shetter and Councilmember Ronnie Johnson will speak to the group at 2 p.m. BARSEA meets at the Burleson Senior Activity Center, 216 S.W. Johnson Ave.

Learn basic CPR and first aid, for free!

If you want to learn how to do basic CPR, the Burleson Fire Department is hosting free basic CPR classes on Saturdays, 9 a.m.-noon, at Fire Station #1, 828 S.W. Alsbury Blvd. The dates are Jan. 31, Feb. 28, March 28, April 25, May 23, June 20, July 18, Aug. 15, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, Nov. 7, and Dec. 5. You must be at least 15 years old. Participants will receive a certificate. This is not a card class. The three-hour course includes very basic and easy hands on CPR, basic first aid, and instruction on an AED. Classes are open to the first 30 people who sign up. Call 817-426-9170. 

Recycle your Christmas tree

If you live inside the city limits of Burleson, it's easy to recycle your Christmas tree when it begins dropping needles. The City's compost/mulch/recycling center is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. The center is located at 620 Memorial Plaza, behind Fire Station #2. You have to be a resident of the city of Burleson to use the City's center. More

City facilities close Jan. 19

Trash and curbside recycling will be collected on Monday, Jan. 19, but City facilities will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Hidden Creek Golf Course will be open, 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m., but the Burleson Recreation Center (the BRiCk), library, animal shelter, and Senior Activity Center will be closed. The Burleson City Council meeting scheduled for Jan. 19 has been moved to Tuesday, Jan. 20. 

Sign those tiny tots up for a triathlon!

Yes, tiny tots can do a triathlon! The BRiCk is hosting a Tiny Tots Triathlon on Saturday, March 14, 2015, at 9 a.m. This is for children between three and five years old. The tots will bike, splash through sprinklers, and dash to the finish line in this triathlon. Each participant will take home a medal. Pre-registration is required. Sign up at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd. The cost is $15 per child. This is a great event for the entire family, and it promotes fitness! For more information call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104. 

Don't miss the Friends' book sale

The Friends of the Library will host the group's annual book sale on Friday, April 24, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, April 25, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Burleson Public Library. The sale will have a large variety of books, hardcover and softcover for all ages, including popular fiction and nonfiction (biographies, cooking, self-help, history, literature and more). You can buy a bag of books, of your choosing, for $10. Single books range in price from 50 cents to $2. If you are a member of the Friends of the Library, you are invited to a special presale on Thursday, April 23, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. If you want to be part of this presale you can become a member of the Friends of the Library for $5. Memberships will be available at the door during the Thursday night pre-sale. The library is located at 248 S.W. Johnson Ave. 

Do your achy muscles need a break?

Do you need a good massage following the hustle and bustle of the holiday season? Check out what the BRiCk has to offer - - - Swedish Massage, Integrated, Deep Tissue, Ortho or Prenatal Massage, the Cupping Technique, Chair Massage, Warm Up or Cool Down Stretching (Chair or Table), Cold Stone Migraine Therapy, and Ear Candling with Paraffin Candles. All massages are by appointment. Call 817-426-9104 or 817-426-9106 or go to the Massage Therapy page on the City website for more information.

Save the date for the Aqua Egg Hunt

Grab your swimsuits, grab your goggles - Saturday, March 28, is the day to hunt for Easter eggs in the BRiCk's indoor pool. The Aqua Egg Hunt fun begins at 10 a.m. Children up to age 11 will be divided into four age groups for hunts in the play structure area and the lap pool. Children two and younger start at 10 a.m.; three-five is at 10:30 a.m.; six-eight year olds hunt at 11 a.m.; and children nine-11 years old are in the pool at 11:30 a.m. The fee is $2 for each child. Participation is limited, so preregistration is recommended. You can start signing up on March 2 at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd. For more information, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104.

Pick up candidate packets Jan. 20

City council candidate packets for the May 2015 City election will be available this month at Burleson City Hall. The three seats on the ballot include Place 1 held by Councilmember Stuart Gillaspie, Place 3 held by Councilmember Jerry Allen, and Place 5 held by Mayor Pro Tem Dan McClendon. Council profiles are available on the City website. The 2015 election is for three-year terms. Candidates must be at least 18 years old on the date they apply for a place on the ballot; a citizen of the United States; a qualified voter of the city; a resident of the city or have resided in the city for at least one year immediately preceding the date of the election; and not be delinquent in the payment of property due to the City. The filing period is Jan. 28-Feb. 27. Candidate packets will be available online. City hall is located at 141 W. Renfro St. For more information, contact the city secretary's office at 817-426-9662 or email.