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Welcome to the free City of Burleson weekly E-Newsletter! There are more than 1,700 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. 

April 22, 2016
Firefighter/EMT earns City's Employee of the Quarter honors
She's a dedicated dynamo of a woman, and she wears Burleson Fire Department bunker gear. Firefighter/EMT Jules Knight was selected as the City of Burleson's Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2016.
 
Knight is credited for spearheading the fire department's first ever Open House in 2015, training a fellow first responder who then became the first female firefighter hired by the Cleburne Fire Department, and for her most recent endeavor of serving on the City's community risk reduction program.
 
The City's Employee of the Quarter award is based on an employee's efficiency, transparency, honesty, innovation and customer service, all of which make up the City's ethics statement. The first quarter focused on employees from the fire department, police department and fire marshal's office. Read more about Firefighter Knight.
It's a sales tax free weekend for emergency preparation supplies
If you don't have your emergency preparedness supplies yet, this is your lucky weekend.
 
Between 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, and midnight on Monday, April 25, it is officially the 2016 Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items you can purchase, and you do not need to issue an exemption certificate to claim the exemption.
 
The qualifying items are broken down into three categories - purchased for a price less than $3,000, purchased for a price less than $300, and purchased for a price less than $75.
 
The list includes portable generators, emergency ladders, hurricane shutters, batteries, tarps and plastic sheeting, hatchets and axes, and more. To see the entire list of qualifying purchases, as well as what supplies do not qualify for the tax exemption, go to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts page.
Fire department offers two sessions of Junior Fire Academy
The Burleson Fire Department is offering Junior Fire Academy twice in 2016! The first session is Monday-Thursday, June 20-June 23, 8 a.m.-noon. The second session is Monday-Thursday, July 18-July 21, 8 a.m.-noon.

Junior Fire Academy is for students who are entering the fifth grade in the fall of 2016. Each academy is limited to 12 students.

Participants receive their own bunker gear, tour the fire stations, and learn about disaster safety, extrication, fire safety, fire hydrants, fire hoses and ladders. The search and rescue training involves a maze (simulated dark conditions) in the training tower at Fire Station #2.

Be Healthy Community 5K/10K and Fun Walk is Saturday!
Saturday is Race Day! Plan for road closures in Old Town Burleson and lane closures on Johnson Avenue and Hidden Creek Parkway, to make way for the April 23 Be Healthy Community 5K/10K and Fun Walk.
 
One lane on Johnson Avenue - Gardens Boulevard to Ellison Street - and one lane on Hidden Creek Parkway - Irene Street to I-35W - will be closed between 7 a.m. and approximately 10 a.m. Ellison Street, between Warren Street and Wilson Street in Old Town, will be closed between 6 a.m. and noon.
 
The 1-mile Fun Walk steps off at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 5K and the 10K at 8 a.m. See the proposed routes for the 1-mile Fun Walk, 5K and 10K.
 
If you have signed up for the Be Healthy Community 5K/10K and Fun Walk, you can pick up your t-shirt and packet in the front lobby at Burleson City Hall, 141 W. Renfro St., today, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
 
Online registration is closed, but you can register in person at city hall today, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., or on race day, 7 a.m.-7:30 a.m. Find out what else is going on at the event! You can also email Lisa Poteete or call 817-426-9682.
Adopt a dog at tonight's Yappy Hour at Lost Oak Winery
It's Yappy Hour! The Burleson Animal Shelter and Lost Oak Winery are teaming up on Friday, April 22, 7 p.m.-10 p.m., for on-site adoptions at the winery. The adoption fee is $140 or less. To see which four-legged friends may be at Yappy Hour, check out the Burleson Animal Services page on April 22.

The winery will serve Pooch Punch (white Sangria) for the humans and will have goodie bags, filled with a treat and a souvenir pet bandana, for the dogs. The Yappy Hour entertainment is Ken Dinkins and Sassy Hot Dogs will be serving gourmet hot dogs and burgers.

Don't forget to enter the animal shelter's drawing. The goodies include gift certificates from local veterinarian businesses as well as rabies vaccines. Tickets are $1 or $5 for six tickets.

Bring your pets to meet the adoptable pets! This is a great way for pet owners to socialize their dogs in a low-key environment. Leashes are mandatory. Read the rest of the details!

Did you download the City of Burleson Texas mobile app?
Are you looking for a fast and convenient way to get information about your City of Burleson government? The official City of Burleson Texas mobile app went live in the Apple Store and Google Play store on April 11.
 
Type "Burleson" in the search bar and look for the City of Burleson Texas seal. The look of the mobile app is the same as the City of Burleson website, which underwent a redesign in July 2015. All of the app's icons link to pages or modules on the City website. When you download the new mobile app to your mobile device, the app icon is the City seal.
 
The goal of the mobile app is to make it easy for residents - as well as those who work in Burleson or are visiting Burleson - to check the calendar, report a problem (trash/debris, high grass, etc.), see what events/festivals are coming up, fill out online forms, and contact staff and council members. These 20 icons are the pages/modules that visitors to the City of Burleson website go to the most, based on our website analytics.  Read the rest of the details.  
Buy some books at the Friends of the Library book sale
The Friends of the Library will host the group's annual book sale today, 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. Read the rest of the details.

Deadline is April 23 to sign future sixth graders up for Paw Pals
Are your pre-teens considering a career involving animals or are they just crazy about dogs, cats, farm animals, and zoo animals? Then sign them up for the Burleson Animal Services' Paw Pals Animal Care Academy.
 
Paw Pals is a free educational program for youth. It is noon-1:30 p.m. on four Saturdays - June 4, 11, 18, & 25. Classes include bite prevention/responsible pet ownership/veterinary care; the Fort Worth Zoo; how to care for farm animals; and graduation!
 
Paw Pals is for students entering the 6th grade in the 2016/2017 school year. The class is limited to 15 students who must either live in Burleson or attend school in Burleson.
 
Students are required to write an essay explaining why they want to participate and what they hope to get out of the academy. Fill out the application before April 23. Applications are also available at the Burleson Animal Shelter, 775 S.E. John Jones Dr. The shelter hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information about Paw Pals, call 817-426-9283 or email the Burleson Animal Shelter.
Family Campout & Fishing Adventure is Saturday/Sunday!
Your kids will love this! Parks and Recreation  is hosting the popular Far Out Family Campout and Fishing Adventures on Saturday/Sunday, April 23-24, at Bailey Lake. The overnight event kicks off at 1 p.m. on Saturday and wraps up at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Burleson Community Resource Officer David Wardlaw will be on site, with the parks staff, overnight.

We are bringing back Wildlife on the Move (reptiles, tarantulas, turtles, cockroaches, and more), archery lessons, fishing, a campfire, campfire stories, and a hot dog dinner with s'mores. Prizes will be given out for the biggest catch of the day. Bring your own tent, fishing pole, and bait. Boy Scouts and Master Naturalists will guide your way on nature trails, help you fish, and coordinate other fun activities. Kayaking will also be available for the first time! Please remember to bring some extra cash if this is something you'd like to try.

Tickets are available at the BRiCk, 550 N.W. Summercrest Blvd. Pre-event tickets are $10 per a family of five. Tickets on the day of the event are $15 per family of five. Each child at the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Bailey Lake is located at 280 W. Hidden Creek Parkway (Gardens Boulevard at Hidden Creek Parkway). For more details, please read the release.

Look for changes on Renfro Street, between I-35W & Hwy. 174
What's happening on Renfro Street? On April 18, the Burleson City Council approved a contract with Kimley-Horn Engineers for a redesign project for Renfro, between I-35W and Hwy. 174. Based on the 2015 Mobility Plan and the 2016 Old Town Plan Update, Renfro Street is proposed to be redesigned to provide a walkable, urban boulevard.
 
Next week (April 25), you may see employees from 811 services locating and marking water, sewer, gas, telephone, and fiber/cable utilities along that stretch of Renfro. After the utilities are marked, survey crews will begin shooting actual grades and locations of street components like curbs and drainage structures. From there, four reconstruction/redesign concepts will be developed and an ultimate new Renfro Street will be chosen by city council. Stay tuned for more updates on the project!

Help us beautify Burleson via April 30 Trash Bash
Find your boots (and some gloves), round up your friends and family, and sign up for the Burleson Trash Bash slated for Saturday, April 30. It's 9 a.m.-11 a.m. The wrap-up at Warren Park includes the usual free pizza and drawings, but this time we're adding in music by the Bransom Elementary School Choir and a visit from a unique sculptor, Peter Weiler.
 
Volunteers meet at Warren Park, 301 S.W. Johnson Ave. (across the street from the library) at 9 a.m. to get their trash bags and litter picker uppers, and then they head out to remove litter and debris from retail corridors, waterways, drainage channels, streets, parks, and other public areas. Youth participants are enthusiastically welcomed, but must have adult supervision.
 
Read through the volunteer packet on the City website then sign your group up online or call David Lenartowicz, the City's environmental specialist, at 817-426-9842 for more details. You must call by 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, to receive a cleanup location assignment. Come out, enjoy the camaraderie, and leave knowing you have made a difference!
Dispose of medication at Prescription Drug Take-Back Event
Residents may drop off unused, expired, or unwanted medications, in both pill and liquid form, for safe disposal at Burleson's Prescription Drug Take-Back event on Saturday, April 30, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
 
Burleson partners with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to collect over-the-counter as well as prescription drugs. If you can't make it April 30, there is a drug take-back box in the front lobby of the Burleson Police Department. Burleson joined the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event effort in 2012. Since that time, Burleson's events have collected more than 1 ton of prescription drugs.
 
If you do not live in Burleson but still want to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back event, the DEA is continually updating the list of sites. Among those participating are Burleson, Crowley, Joshua, Mansfield, Fort Worth and Arlington.
 
The April 30 event is at a new location, the Burleson Police Department, 1161 S.W. Wilshire Blvd. (Wilshire Boulevard and Elk Drive). Read more about the event!
Have you lost or found a pet? Let the animal shelter know
If your pet has gone missing, it is extremely important that you go by the Burleson Animal Shelter, 775 SE John Jones Dr., to view the animals at least once every 72 hours. You may submit a form onlineemail the animal shelter, or call 817-426-9283 to make a report. It is very important to send an email to the shelter with a picture of the lost or found animal so the employees know exactly what to look for.

When calling to report a missing pet, please leave the following information: owner's name, owner's address, contact phone numbers, and a description of the pet. Also include any identification tag numbers the pet may be wearing. The shelter staff maintains a list of all the animals reported missing or found.

If you have found a pet, you can also submit a form online, email or call. The link for a found pet is the same link for the lost pet. If it is after hours, you can check a found pet for a microchip at the Burleson Animal Emergency Hospital on Alsbury Boulevard, near Albertsons. Please do not give away or rehome a found pet.

The Burleson Animal Shelter is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Friday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.
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.
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 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.  
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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