InTouch - September 2015                           City of Victoria, Texas



Free Family Fish Out 
The Victoria Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with the Victoria Lions Club, is hosting a free Family Fish Out from 9 am to 2 pm on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Ethel Lee Tracy Park pond, located at 701 East Larkspur. The pond will be stocked with channel catfish to offer fishermen of all ages an opportunity to reel in a fish. For more information, please contact the Victoria Parks and Recreation Department at 485-3200 or email [email protected]  
 Civilian Fire Academy Accepting Applicants
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a firefighter or a paramedic and what they do? The City of Victoria Fire Department is now accepting applications for its Civilian Fire Academy Class #9 and
community members will have an opportunity to learn all about the Victoria Fire Department.  

The Academy, offered free to participants, will be held Sept. 28 through November 16, 2015. Classes are held every Monday from 6 to 9:30 pm at the Victoria Fire Department Training Field, located at 1411 SW Ben Jordan. 

Topics include:
  • Fire Communications
  • Fire Behavior
  • Incident Command
  • Technical Teams
  • Apparatus familiarization
  • Emergency Medical Service
  • Fire Investigations
  • Hands on activities, including fire extinguishers, communication exercises, CPR certification and rappelling, just to name a few.
Applications are now being accepted for the Civilian Fire Academy. Class size is limited to 15 participants. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and a City of Victoria resident. Applications are available online at http://victoriatx.org/departments/fire

Applications can also be picked up from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday at Fire Station 1 (located at 606 E. Goodwin) or at Station 5 (located at 9508 Zac Lentz Parkway)

Applicants will be selected at random from the pool of applicants.
For more information, call Tim Hunter at 485-3456 or email [email protected].
  Meet Your Neighbors
at National Night Out
The Victoria Police Department invites neighborhoods throughout the community to participate in National Night Out. National Night Out is held in neighborhoods all over the country to heighten community awareness about drug and crime prevention programs, and to strengthen police-community relations.
 
This year's National Night Out will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. Now is the time to network with your neighbors and help plan activities and locations for National Night Out block parties and festivities. If you've had a party in the past, we hope you participate again this year. 
 
If this is your first year to participate, the Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit is available to help make your neighborhood block party a success. The deadline to register your neighborhood block party is Tuesday, Sept. 29 by 5 pm. Please call the Crime Prevention office at 361-485-3808 to register and assure that local police officers, firefighters and City officials stop by your party on National Night Out. 
 
The Victoria Police Department also invites the community to the Annual National Night Out Kick-Off Party on Saturday, Sept. 19 from noon to 3 pm at the Victoria Mall. There will be booths and live entertainment from various community groups. Businesses and organizations who would like a booth space can call 485-3808.
   Bootfest Features Music, Food & Fun

The City's biggest, free downtown festival, Bootfest, is coming up on Friday, Oct. 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3.

The Children's Discovery Museum will "kick-off" Bootfest with a Black Tie and Boots Gala on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 30. The gala will be part of an annual series "Travel the World with the Children's Discovery Museum.  Themed "Texas, a whole 'Nother Country", the gala will take place under the stars in De Leon Plaza.  As a celebration of the region, entertainment will include various lawn games, live music, BBQ from the Victoria CVB's newly-established Coastal Barbeque Trail, and a live auction. Tickets are $75 per person and all proceeds benefit the museum. Call 485-9140 for more information and to purchase tickets.

Bootfest gets underway from 6 to 11 pm on Friday, Oct. 2 and 10 am to 11 pm on Saturday, Oct. 3. There will be a Kids Corral with more than a dozen inflatables and activities; western craftsmen; a car, truck & motorcycle show; a washers tournament; more than 80 arts and crafts vendors; a vast variety of food vendors; and performances by the Stars and Stripes Cloggers, Trick Roper Kevin Fitzpatrick, Ballet Folklorico, American Karate Academy and the Aggie Wranglers.

Bootfest is best known for its line-up of live music, and this year is no exception. Musicians playing at the festival include Joel Nava & the Texas Border; Jarrod Birmingham; Kyle Park; Austin Meade; Grupo Anaya; Hot Attacks; Conjunto Avanzar; No Chance Band; Jaime y Los Chamacos, Charlie Robison and festival headliner, Kevin Fowler. Bootfest 2015 will conclude with the annual fireworks show, sponsored by klean corp international (Robbie & Tami Burdge).

Visit www.bootfest2015.com for more detailed information or call the Victoria Convention and Visitors Bureau at 485-3116. 
Library Programs 

All programs are held at the Victoria Public Library, 302 N. Main in Victoria, TX, unless another location is listed. For more information, call 361-485-3302 or visit www.victoriapubliclibrary.org
 
CHILDREN and TEENS

Baby Time
- Every Tuesday at 10 am
Baby Time is for the enjoyment of babies up to the age of 2. Lap play, songs, flannel boards and interactive reading to engage caregivers and babies.

  

Family Story Time - Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 & 10:30 am 

Stories, music and games for ages 4 to 5.  

   

COMPUTER CLASSES

We offer three kinds of technology programs on an ongoing basis: Tech Basics, Tech Labs and Tech Extras. Classes range from beginner to advanced courses and are taught at Workforce Solutions of the Golden Crescent Computer Lab and the Victoria Public Library. Visit the Events Calendar at www.victoriapubliclibrary.org for more information.

 

Tech Labs - Every Wednesday at the Library from 9-11 am. These labs include:

 

Tech Lab: Skills Practice for learning how to set up an email account, how to download an eBook from the Library's free eBook collection, or how to use one of the Library's computer skills tutorials. No registration required.

 

Tech Lab: Online Job Application Help for filling out online job applications. Bring the information for your job application to this open lab. No registration required.

  

Tech Extras are programs on new and popular technology programs. They vary month to month, so be sure to check our newsletter, website and facebook page for upcoming programs. 

  
LIBRARY HOURS
9 am-8 pm                 Monday through Thursday
9 am-5:30 pm            Friday
9 am-5 pm                 Saturday

                                 Closed Sunday

Fun Events & Activities    
Friends of VPL Book Sale
The Friends of the Library will have its semi-annual book sale now through Sept. 19 in the Bronte Room at the Victoria Public Library. The sale will be open to the public Monday through Friday, during regular library hours and Saturday until noon. All the remaining books will be half price on Saturday, Sept. 19.

National Night Out
A National Night Out (NNO) Kick-Off Party will be held from noon to 3 pm Saturday, Sept. 19 at Victoria Mall in front of Dillard's.

NNO will be held in neighborhoods throughout Victoria from 6 to 9 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Policemen and Firemen will stop by to visit with many of the residents whose parties are registered for NNO.

Movies in the Park
The Parks and Recreation Department will offer free Movies in the Park this fall. Join us at Riverside Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 pm for the "Avengers." Other upcoming movies include "Divergent" on Oct. 17 at DeLeon Plaza; and "The Hunger Games" on Oct. 24 at DeLeon Plaza. All movies start at 7:30 pm and free popcorn will be served.

Fire Prevention Show
The Victoria Fire Department will present it's annual Fire Prevention Show to the public in honor of Fire Prevention Month on Wednesday, Oct. 7 at the Victoria Fine Arts Building. Shows will be performed at 9 am, 10:15 am and 1:15 pm. This year's theme is "Safety-Con." Admission is free. For more information, call 485-3460.

Upcoming Meetings
City Council
Victoria City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month beginning at 5 pm in the Council Chambers, located at City Hall in downtown Victoria, 108 W. Juan Linn. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for  Tuesday, Sept. 15, Tuesday, Oct. 6 and Tuesday, Oct. 20.
 
VPL Advisory Board
The Victoria Public Library Advisory Board meets on the third Wednesday of each month at noon in the Bronte Room. The next meeting will be held on Oct. 21.

Planning Commission
The Planning Commission meets on the third Thursday of the month at 5:15 pm in the Council Chambers. The next meetings are scheduled for Sept. 17 and Oct. 15.

Parks Commission
The Parks Commission meets on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 pm at Council Chambers. The next scheduled meeting is Oct. 12. 

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InTouch Victoria is published by the City of Victoria Communications Office. If you have comments or suggestions please contact us at 361-485-3110 or [email protected]

City of Victoria 
Communications Department
700 Main Center, Suite 105 
Victoria, TX 77901 

 

 
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