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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.
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Beatles fans don't want to miss this!
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Are you ready to hear some Beatles music? Me & My Monkey, Dallas Fort Worth's only Beatles Tribute band, is playing at the BRiCk on Saturday, March 12, 1:30 p.m.-4 p.m. The event also includes Beatles scholar Aaron Krerowicz.
Admission to the concert, in the BRiCk gymnasium, is free! Krerowicz will be there presenting "From the Shadow of JFK: The Rise of Beatlemania in America," which is also the title of his latest book. Krerowicz' books will be available for purchase (and autographs).
Come on out, bring the family, and sing along with all of the Beatles' tunes - "Hey Jude," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Yellow Submarine," "Got To Get You Into My Life," and "Paperback Writer." If you have any questions, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104.
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Dedication earns Dawkins Civilian Employee of the Year honors
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Karen Dawkins is someone you can call on at any time of the day or night and she will answer. That dedication earned the public safety communications supervisor the Burleson Police Department's 2015 Civilian Employee of the Year award. The honor was presented Feb. 25 at the annual banquet.
"Karen Dawkins is dedicated to helping her fellow employees within the communications office," according to the nomination. "She is always willing to help cover shifts or supplement other dispatchers during times of high call volume. She has been a driving force in developing a comprehensive training program for new employees within her section and ensures that all employees are trained to the fullest capabilities before they are released to a shift by themselves.
"No task assigned Karen is left undone," according to the nomination. "She sees all of her responsibilities through to the end, including her part in maintaining operations during the recent move into the new police facility." Read more about this award winner.
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Turn those clocks forward one hour on March 13
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Spring break for Burleson Independent School District students will start off with one less hour of sleep. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13, turn those clocks forward one hour to 3 a.m. By springing forward you lose one hour of sleep on March 13, but you gain more hours of daylight in the evenings so you might make it home in time to see the sun set.
Daylight saving time means the City's cemetery, Burleson Memorial Park, will get spruced up. All items that are not permanently attached to the memorial or marker will be removed after the time changes. Items will be removed from gravesites the week of March 13-19.
For a copy of the flower rules and regulations, contact Lucas Blessing Funeral Home, 518 S.W. Johnson Ave., or call 817-295-9000.
When you change your clocks, don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. And, if your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old, instead of replacing the batteries, replace the alarm. If you have questions about your smoke detectors, please call the Burleson Fire Department at 817-426-9170.
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Service and sacrifices of Vietnam veterans will be recognized
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The service, and the sacrifices that Vietnam veterans made, will be recognized on Saturday, March 26, at the fifth annual Vietnam Veterans Celebration. The event is slated for 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Plaza, 298 E. Renfro St. (Renfro at I-35W), in Burleson. The Burleson Heritage Foundation and the City of Burleson are hosting the event.
Jan. 12, 1962, marked the United States' first combat mission against the Viet Cong. In 2012, on the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, President Obama issued a proclamation declaring March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. March 29, 1973, was the date that the last of the troops left Vietnam.
The March 26 speakers include Ron Fry, Green Beret Retired, and Bill Hall, United States Army E-9, Sergeant Major. Fry served for 20 years in the United States Army, E-8 Master Sergeant, and he earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam. Hall served 23 years and also earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam. Read more about this celebration.
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Preregister for the March 19 Aqua Egg Hunt
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Be adventurous and dive in for Easter eggs at the Aqua Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 19. The hunt begins at 10 a.m. at the BRiCk's indoor pool.
Children up to age 11 will be divided into four age groups for hunts in the play structure area and the lap pool. First up are those two years old or younger (must have a parent/guardian) at 10 a.m., followed by children three to five years old at 10:30 a.m. The hunt moves to the lap pool at 11 a.m. with children six to eight years old. The finale features those between nine and 11 years old, at 11:30 a.m. The fee is $2 for each child.
Participation in Aqua Egg Hunt is limited, so preregistration is recommended. Sign up now at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd. For more information, call the BRiCk at 817-426-9104.
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Reaching out to those with mental illnesses earned Officers Pilgrim & Morrison Most Outstanding Community Policing honors
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Two Burleson Police officers make a point of reaching out to help those who are suffering from mental illnesses. The connections that they made and the training that resulted from that effort resulted in Officer Cameron Pilgrim and Officer Shayne Morrison to be selected for the department's 2015 Most Outstanding Community Policing award. The honor was announced at the banquet on Feb. 25.
"The award is so meaningful to me because I and Officer Pilgrim have had depression and MHMR related-issues with our own friends and family members," Morrison said. "I believe we both want to find the best possible avenues and alternatives for our department to deal with mental health issues because our department takes an enormous amount of calls from mental health related persons in need of help." Read more about the Most Outstanding Community Policing Award winners.
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Race for prize eggs at the March 19 Bunny Daze
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Children, race against your peers for prize eggs at Hidden Creek Sports Complex on Saturday, March 19. The free Bunny Daze festivities are 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. and lasts for about 30 seconds (OK, tops 5 minutes). 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.
If you want to be a Bunny Daze vendor, the booth spaces are $20 for a 10x10 space. A cover over your booth is recommended. Call the BRiCk at 817-426-9014. Hidden Creek Sports Complex is located at 295 E. Hidden Creek Pkwy., next to Hidden Creek Golf Course.
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Sgt. Trumble is named BPD's Supervisor of the Year
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Sgt. Jody Trumble was named the Burleson Police Department's 2015 Supervisor of the Year. In her 17-plus years with the department she has been thrice-honored. Trumble earned the 2000 Employee of the Year and the 2010 Supervisor of the Year honor. The 2015 award was presented at the department's banquet on Feb. 25.
"I am humbled and thankful to those officers who work with me," she said. "I am amazed daily by their incredible drive and determination. The things these officers go through every day . . . and to still come in with a smile on their face and ready to serve . . . would amaze anyone. The opportunity I was given to lead such a great group of officers has truly been an incredible journey."
The 41-year-old native of Ionia, Michigan, was hired by the Burleson Police Department in October 1998, after she served five years on active military duty in security forces with the United States Air Force. Read more about this award winner.
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Join in the discussion on the City Facebook Town Hall meeting
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The City of Burleson Development Services Department invites you to a Tuesday, March 15, Facebook Town Hall hosted by the City of Burleson Texas Facebook page. The Town Hall is to discuss the City's plan for a public plaza in Old Town.
A team of City staff will be available, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., to answer your questions and receive your feedback on this upcoming project. If you wish to learn more about projects in Old Town Burleson or read an FAQ prior to the Town Hall event, please go to the Old Town Burleson website.
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Joey the donkey hosts Easter egg hunt March 26!
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We are spreading the Easter fun out over two weekends! Don't forget to bring your wee ones to Russell Farm. The big Easter finale features Joey the Donkey.
Joey is graciously putting on his rabbit ears just for you on Saturday, March 26. He is hosting the Easter egg hunt for toddlers at his home, Russell Farm, at 11 a.m. Children up to 4 years old can join him at the farm at 405 W. County Road 714. Joey will pose for pictures, so bring your own camera and Easter baskets.
The 30-acre Russell Farm was donated to the City in 2011. The grounds have several galleries containing wood sculptures by Charlie Boren and local artists, along with historical artifacts. For more information about the Easter egg hunt at Russell Farm, call 817-447-3316.
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Paws Your Fines helps you and the Burleson Animal Shelter
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Burleson Public Library is ready to waive your fines again! Customers who owe library fines can get as much as $50 forgiven April 4 - April 16 through the library's Paws Your Fines program. The catch is that instead of digging into their pockets, customers can bring in donations that the library will turn over to the Burleson Animal Shelter.
Customers can bring leashes, beds, unopened and unexpired pet food or treats, and other related items to receive a waiver of $1-$20 per item. The library has created a donation chart to guide library cardholders in clearing up their existing fines. For example, each can of pet food brought in will result in a waiver of up to $1 in library fines, while large bags (30 pounds+) of dry food are worth $25 of library fines. A maximum of $50 can be waived.
The Burleson Animal Shelter partners with Meals-On-Wheels for the Ani-Meals program. That program helps homebound elderly clients who share their own meals with their pets because they can't afford to buy pet food. The shelter coordinates and stores the food donated to Ani-Meals. The shelter also gives supplies to pet rescues that work with them to get pets adopted. And, the Burleson Animal Shelter staff helps those who are struggling to make ends meet but don't want to give up their four-legged family members. Items donated to the library's Paws Your Fines drive will help all three causes. Read more about this drive.
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Have you signed up for the City's weather alerts?
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How will you know if a tornado warning or severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Burleson? The City of Burleson, in partnership with Everbridge, will contact you if you reside inside our city limits (pay a City water/trash bill and/or City taxes). Our alert calls only cover those who reside inside our city limits. If you live outside the Burleson city limits, please contact the city or county in which you reside to see what alert system they have in place.
To sign up for Burleson's alert system, go to the City of Burleson Alert System page on the City website. Choose how you want to be contacted, the number of phones and email addresses you want included, and the order in which you want to be contacted. You can include your home and work address, your child's school and/or daycare, or your parents/grandparents' home. You can set a "quiet time" for messages (tornado messages will be sent regardless of quiet times) and choose which weather warnings you want to receive.
Check the Notifications on your cell phone and make sure that Emergency Alerts under Government Alerts (bottom of the list) are turned on. The National Weather Service will send weather alerts to you based on your location. If you are out of town or driving and don't have TV/Radio/social media readily accessible, you will still be warned, via the Government Alerts on your cell phone, about a tornado or severe weather so that you have time to seek shelter. And please, if you have older relatives, neighbors, co-workers or friends who are not plugged in to social media or weather alerts, please reach out to them when you are notified of the potential for severe weather.
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Keep up with all the 2016 City events via City Facebook
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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.
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How do you stay in the loop on City news and events?
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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 seven 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.
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Want to know what's being discussed and how the vote goes?
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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.
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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
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