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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 12, 2016
The sweetest Valentines dance is with your child on Feb. 13 
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. If you wait until Feb. 13 to buy your tickets, the cost is $25 per couple or $12.50 per person.
Guardian Program can give families peace of mind
Residents with special needs family members can have peace of mind during times of crisis thanks to the Burleson Police Department's Guardian Program.
 
The Guardian Program is a voluntary, and free, registry for those who may be unable to communicate basic personal information due to a diagnosed medical disorder, or are prone to wander away or run away from guardians, home, or school due to a diagnosed medical disorder. Special needs include Autism, Alzheimer's, dementia, or some other mental/intellectual disability. 
 
If a special needs child or adult goes missing and is reported by the parent or guardian, information about physical appearance, the most likely places where he or she would go to, as well as triggers, stimulants, and de-escalation techniques will be available to every police officer in the area who is looking for the missing person.  If the individual has not been reported and is incapable of effectively communicating his/her name to an officer, officers may use the individual's physical descriptors to search applicable registry photos, allowing officers to make a more timely identification. The link to the application is in the press release.
Pre-registration for Aqua Egg Hunt starts Feb. 15!
Grab your swimsuits, grab your goggles - it's time to hunt for Easter eggs in the BRiCk's indoor pool.

The Aqua Egg Hunt fun begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 19. Children up to age 11 will be divided into four age groups for hunts in the play structure area and the lap pool. The fee is $2 for each child. Participation is limited, so preregistration is recommended. You can start signing up on Feb. 15 at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd.
 
Once the youngsters have dried off and changed clothes, take them across town to the ballfields at Hidden Creek Sports Complex for the free Bunny Daze festivities, 12 p.m.-2 p.m. There will be onstage performances, carnival games, and face painting. The Easter Bunny will be at Bunny Daze to meet and greet and pose for pictures.
The Bunny Daze Easter egg hunt starts at 1:30 p.m. on March 19 and lasts for about 30 seconds! Children, up to age 12, will be divided into age groups to hunt for eggs, including prize eggs. This year we have added a section for children with special needs and disabilities to hunt for those prize eggs.

For more information about both March 19 events, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104. Read about all of the City's Easter egg hunts.

City releases information on copper and lead testing
The City of Burleson issued a public notice on Tuesday, Feb. 9, concerning lead and copper testing. If you have any questions about the notice, please call the Public Works Department at 817-426- 9830. You can read the public notice here.
Old Town Picture Show is coming back in the fall
The Old Town Picture is back for 2016. There will be three movies, all on Saturdays - September 24, October 1, and October 8. Showtime is 8 p.m. The movies are free and are shown in Old Town Burleson, Texas (124 W. Ellison St.). Bring your blankets and lawn chairs! In August we'll have an update with the names of the movies that will be showing on the big screen!
Take care of your unpaid tickets before the Roundup
Tickets that are ignored turn into warrants. If you have fines that you have not paid to the City of Burleson's Municipal Court, your time is running out. Arrests will be made and unpaid fines will be collected during the Great Texas Warrant Roundup in March.
 
The focus is on Class C misdemeanor warrants, the majority of which are traffic-related offenses. Although the focus is on Class C warrants, higher charge warrants may also be served. If you don't know if you have an outstanding warrant, call the Burleson Municipal Court warrant department at 817-426-9298, or the court in which you received a citation.
 
The municipal court staff extended the court's hours of operation this month. Regular business hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 pm., and Wednesday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  On Friday, Feb. 19, and Friday, Feb. 26, the court will be open late, 8 a.m.-7 p.m., to give people who have warrants time to come in and take care of them before the warrant roundup. The court is located inside the Burleson sub courthouse at 247 Elk Dr., Room 114 (across from Burleson High School). Find out how you can pay your outstanding warrants.
Get your books at the Friends of the Library book sale 
The Friends of the Library will host the group's annual book sale on Friday, April 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, April 23, 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 21, 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.

Mark your calendar - National Night Out is Saturday, Oct. 1
The Burleson Police Department, staff from multiple City departments, neighbors, and YOU will celebrate National Night Out 2016 on Saturday, Oct. 1, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., city wide.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, better places to live. National Night Out helps bring back a true sense of community and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Twenty-nine neighborhoods in Burleson signed up for National Night Out visits in 2015, and we visited all 29. That "we" included the police department, bicycle patrol officers, Citizens on Patrol, fire department, fire marshal, animal services, code compliance, environmental services, city marshals, library, public information officer, and Mayor Ken Shetter and Councilmember DanO Strong. There was plenty of food, some musical entertainment, games, and lots of camaraderie. We will have more details for you in August!

Nominate a teen for Mayor's Youth Council
Do you want to be a link between the youth of Burleson and the Burleson City Council? If you are between 13 and 19 years old as of June 1, 2016, you can be nominated to serve on the Burleson Mayor's Youth Council (MYC).
 
The goal of the MYC is to identify current issues affecting area youth, advise the city council on teen-related matters, plan activities and projects for Burleson youth, and maintain youth council bylaws and structure.
 
To be eligible for the council, you must be 13-19 years old, live in Burleson or in Burleson's extraterritorial jurisdiction, have a passion to be the voice of Burleson youth, and show leadership qualities within the community. Read more about how to get involved!
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.
Do you know where to cast a vote for the March Primaries?
Are you not sure where to vote or even who represents you in the March 2016 Primary Election?

The early voting times for both Tarrant County and Johnson County are:
Tuesday/Feb. 16 to Friday/Feb. 19, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.;
Saturday/Feb. 20, 7 a.m. -7 p.m.;
Sunday/Feb. 21, 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.;
Monday/Feb. 22 to Friday/Feb. 26, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Election Day (Tuesday, March 1) voting hours are 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

If you live in Tarrant County, the best way to find out where to vote and who represents you, is to go to the Upcoming Election Information page on the Tarrant County website and click on "Voter Lookup." You can choose a sample ballot (Democratic Party or Republican Party) and find out your early voting location and your Election Day voting location. For more information call the Tarrant County Elections Administration at 817-831-8683.

All Texas voters can check to see if they are registered by going to the Am I Registered page on the Texas Secretary of State website. This site will also give you your location for early voting and Election Day voting.

There are two new early voting locations, one in Alvarado and one in Cleburne, in Johnson County. Check that information on the Elections Office page on the Johnson County website.

Where do you go to vote early in Johnson County? Go to the Early Voting Locations page on the Johnson County website

Are you waiting until Tuesday, March 1, to vote? For the March 1, 2016 voting day locations in Johnson County, go to the Election Day Locations page on the Johnson County website. You will need to know your precinct number to determine where to vote on March 1.

Do you want to study a sample ballot before you go to the polls? Johnson County voters can go to the Current Elections Sample Ballots page on the Johnson County website. For more information about the March 1 Primary Election, please call the Johnson County Elections office at 817-556-6197.
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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