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Welcome to the free City of Burleson weekly E-Newsletter! There are more than 1,670 subscribers!  Click here for archived issues.  If you have questions or suggestions about City programs, services and events, call the public information office at 817-426-9622. 

February 5, 2016
This is a dance they'll treasure forever . . .
Dance with your daughter or son on Saturday, Feb. 13, as the City's parks and recreation department hosts the annual Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Valentine Dance at the BRiCk. There will be two times - 4 p.m.-6:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m.  
 
The fun includes pictures, corsages, dinner (salad and pizza), dancing, and games. A DJ spins the tunes that multiple generations will recognize while children teach their parents the newest dance crazes. The most popular "game" is the limbo contest. How low can you go? Parents compete against parents and children compete against children. There's also a three-legged race so girls, shed those heels before you and your partner make a break for the finish line.
 
Pre-event tickets are $16 per couple ($8 per person) and are available at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd., now. If you wait until Feb. 13 to buy your tickets, the cost is $25 per couple or $12.50 per person.
Learn more about CERT at Feb. 25 Meet & Greet
Are you interested in stepping up and being part of the City of Burleson's Community Emergency Response Team but you are still on the fence about whether you want to commit to five days of training? Then mark Thursday, Feb. 25, on your calendar.
 
The current CERT Team and Burleson Fire Inspector/Investigator Jessica Eiswald are hosting a Meet and Greet, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at Burleson Fire Station #1, 828 S.W. Alsbury Blvd. Learn from the ones who have committed to the team and decide if you would be a good fit. There will be a short presentation and refreshments. The five-day CERT training is on Tuesday/Thursday, March 1 & 3 and March 8 & 10, as well as Saturday, March 12. For more about the CERT Training, read the press release.
Get your tiny tots ready for the Triathlon April 9
If you have a tiny tot, mark Saturday, April 9, on your calendar! The BRiCk is hosting the Tiny Tot Triathlon. This event is for children between three and five years old. Preschoolers will have an opportunity to enjoy fitness at its finest. They will get to bike, splash through water slides, and dash to the finish line! Each participant will receive a medal.
 
Parents must provide their preschooler with their own tri-cycle assist throughout the race. The race begins at 9 a.m. The cost to enter your preschooler in the Tiny Tot Triathlon is $15. Pre-registration starts March 14, and it is required for this event. Call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104 for more details. The BRiCk is located at 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd.
Eight-week Citizens Police Academy starts in June
The Burleson Police Department will host a free 8-week Citizens Police Academy in 2016. Classes will take place at the police building, 1161 S.W. Wilshire Blvd. Classes are on Thursdays, June 9 through July 28, with graduation on August 4.

The Citizens Police Academy is open to men and women, 18 or older. Citizens must submit an application packet which consists of the application, a waiver form, and consent for criminal history check. The class is limited to 30 students.

The application packet will be available March 1. To learn more about Citizens Police Academy, go to the City of Burleson website.

Municipal Court extends hours on Feb. 19 & 26
No one likes to pay a municipal court citation, but the Burleson Municipal Court is trying to make it a little easier on you by extending the office hours on two Fridays in February.
 
On February 19 and February 26, the Burleson Municipal Court office at the Ron Harmon Sub-Courthouse will be open, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. The courthouse is located at 247 Elk Dr., across from Burleson High School. Normal court hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
 
You also have the option of paying some Municipal Court payments online. The Online Citations system will allow you to look up the status of citations and pay them over a secure Internet connection using a credit card. This system gives the public real-time access to pay citations at their convenience - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But there are guidelines. For more information on what can be paid online, and how to do it, go to the Municipal Court Online Payment page on the City of Burleson website.
Paw Pals Animal Care Academy is back in June!
Are your pre-teens considering a career involving animals or are they just crazy about dogs and cats and all other four-legged critters? Then sign them up for the Burleson Animal Services' Paw Pals Animal Care Academy.

The free academy is on Saturdays in June - June 4, 11, 18 and 25. The academy is for students who are entering the sixth grade in the 2016-2017 school year. It is limited to 15 students who must either live in Burleson or attend school in Burleson. We will have more details, and a link to the application, in April.

Christmas in July Craft Fair is July 16
Get a head start on your Christmas shopping at the Christmas in July Craft Fair!
 
The event is Saturday, July 16, 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Burleson Senior Activity Center, 216 S.W. Johnson Ave. (next to the post office). This is your chance to shop early for unique handcrafted crafts and gifts, including woodworking, art work, jewelry, handmade sewn projects (potholders, aprons) and so much more for your friends and relatives.

If you are a crafter and you're interested in selling your unique handmade items, call the Burleson Senior Activity Center at 817-295-6611.

SWAG Affair is slated for Sept. 1 at Chisenhall Fields
The SWAG Affair is back again in 2016. The message at this free youth event is Sober - Wait - Awareness - Guidance. Clear your calendar for Thursday, Sept. 1, 4:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., at Chisenhall Fields Sports Complex. The event is hosted by the Burleson Municipal Court.
 
SWAG includes fun, prizes and giveaways as well as lots of educational and fun information. We'll have more details in August.
Keep up with all the 2016 City events via City Facebook
Are you a fan of the City of Burleson Texas Government Facebook page? If you're not, you should be. All of the City of Burleson events for 2016 are posted under the Events tab. Even if you are not a fan, you can see the Events tab, but we want you to be a fan! We are working hard to get all of our City-coordinated event dates set so you can mark your calendars now. You don't want to miss a thing! Just click on the Facebook EVENTS tab.
Families checked out police department's new house Jan. 30
What a day! There were tours of the Burleson Police Department's 23,000 square feet digs on Wilshire Boulevard at the first open house in their new home on Jan. 30.

The weather was gorgeous as families checked out the SWAT team with the Bearcat tactical vehicle; Crisis Negotiation team members with their vehicle; the Mobile Incident Command Unit; traffic unit (Dodge Chargers and Harley Davidson motorcycles); the bicycle unit; Police Explorers; Citizens on Patrol; Burleson Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association; Community Resource Officers; Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force; and the department's communications staff. And the Burleson Lions Club served up free hotdogs and drinks, provided by H-E-B.
 
Thank you to everyone for not only coming out and getting to know the City's police staff, but also for approving $5 million for the police building project in the November 2013 bond election. To see the rest of the pictures go to the Burleson Police Department Open House photo album on the City of Burleson Facebook page.
We do a live test of the outdoor warning siren every month
Did you know that the City's emergency management division does a live test of the City's outdoor warning siren system at 1 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month? If it is cloudy or stormy, it will be a silent test.
 
The siren system has both voice and sound (siren, horns). There are two types of weather alerts: tornado alert and severe weather alert. The tornado alert includes a voice message, followed by a three-minute siren, and ends with a repeat of the voice message. The severe weather alert includes a voice message, followed by a 30 second discontinuous horn, and ends with a repeat of the voice message.
 
The Outdoor Warning System is not designed to be heard indoors. The outdoor sirens are used to alert those who are outside working, walking, golfing, playing sports, doing yardwork, or enjoying some down time on the porch, etc. When the outdoor warning system is activated, citizens should not go outside to hear the message or call 911 to ask why the system is activated. Citizens should go inside, seek shelter in an interior room of their home and tune to a weather radio or TV/radio for more information. Or, check the weather app on your cell phones.
 
To see the location of the sirens in the city, go to the siren location map on the City of Burleson website.
We've set the dates for Founders Day and Boo Bash
We are already getting questions about Founders Day and Boo Bash . . . and it's only February. That's a great sign!  
 
The annual Founders Day celebration is set for Saturday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and the Burleson Old Town Boo Bash is Saturday, Oct. 29, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Both events take place in Old Town Burleson, 124 W. Ellison St.
 
Founders Day is hosted by the City of Burleson and the Burleson Heritage Foundation. Come on down and enjoy the mock gunfights by the Legends of Texas, games, great food, entertainment, and more.
 
The toddlers and pre-teens will be taking over Old Town for Boo Bash, which is hosted by the City. Children, birth to 12 years old, will arrive in their favorite Halloween costumes - trick-or-treat bags in hand - for the ultimate in trick or treating. Local businesses, churches, and civic groups set up booths and decorate their vehicles for trunk-or-treat fun. Children will enjoy free candy, games, bounce houses, a pumpkin patch full of free pumpkins to decorate, and a costume parade.

We'll have more details, and links to the vendor applications, by August.

How do you stay in the loop on City news and events?
Do you know how to stay in the loop on City events and programs? This weekly E-Newsletter is one of your options. Sign up for it online.
 
The central hub of all City information is the City of Burleson website. Do you need to call staff? Click on the orange telephone at the top of the website. Do you want to be notified when we post public notices, Pet of the Week, City holiday or weather closures, job openings, the latest news releases, and calendar events? Click on the red Stay Notified icon in the middle of the homepage.
 
Is social media more your style? Check out the City's six Facebook pages, two Twitter pages, YouTube channel, Google+, and Instagram on the Engage With Burleson link  at the bottom of the homepage. That link also includes a link to the City Focus newsletter that is sent to all City utility customers monthly, except for February and July.
 
The City observes seven holidays in 2016. You can find that list on the City Holidays page. If City facilities are closed, we post an alert at the top of every City website page at least one day in advance of the closure and for the duration of the closure. You can also find the holiday closures under the Recent News tab on the homepage.

Have questions? Call the Public Information Office at 817-426-9622.  
Want to know what's being discussed and how the vote goes?
Are you looking for agendas for City meetings? You can still access them through the Public Notices page on the City of Burleson website, but now you can go straight to the agenda by using the Agendas & Minutes page.

You can see current meeting agendas as well as past meeting agendas, minutes, and video (Burleson City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission meetings are live streamed and archived). Minutes reflecting the outcome of agenda items are approved at the next regular meeting of the council, commission, boards and committees.

If you don't want to wait until the next meeting to read the minutes, you can view the video of the meeting by going to the Streaming Video page on the City website.


Do you know what's going on in your City? Choose the form of communication that best suits your style by going to the Engage with Burleson page on the City's new website. We have Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, the City Focus monthly newsletter, this weekly E-Newsletter, streaming video of our public meetings, and a link to our City staff directory. If you want to keep up with the latest happenings, go to News Releases on the City website and, check out the Events calendar on the City Facebook. If you aren't signed up to receive the City's Everbridge emergency notifications (severe thunderstorm warning, tornado warning, mosquito spraying alert, etc.), you can do that now by going to the City of Burleson Alert System signup page. Thank you for being engaged with your City!

Sincerely,

Sally Ellertson
City of Burleson

City of Burleson
817-426-9622 | [email protected] | http://www.burlesontx.com
 
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