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July 2014 City Connection CITY CONNECTION Volume 10, Issue 9 July 2014 Calendar July 2014 1 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 2 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 3 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 9 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 15 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 16 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 18 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 23 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 30 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection August 2014 5 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 6 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 7 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 13 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 19 - City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 20 - Yard Waste Trimming Collection 21 - Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 27 - Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up before noon on Monday, the week of the pick-up at 294-5796. Visit us online at www.huntsvilletx.gov Don’t forget about Farmers’ Market! The Huntsville Main Street’s annual Farmers’ Market will be held every Saturday through the end of July from 8 a.m. to noon on the block of University between 11th and 12th street on the south side of the Walker County Courthouse. All citizens are encouraged to attend, meet the many participating farmers, gardeners, crafters, and artisans alike, and bring home healthy produce and other treats. The City of Huntsville is currently taking part in a special Summer Geocaching campaign through the I-45 Corridor Association this summer, and citizens and visitors alike are encouraged to participate. According to Kimm Thomas, Director of Tourism and Cultural Services, the campaign will run through Labor Day, September 1. Geocaching is a worldwide game which employs Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to hide unique items, and participants can utilize their smart phones or any other GPS device to take part. “The I-45 Corridor Association has hidden 30 geocaches, or treasures, along the I-45 Corridor, hidden by the six participating cities - Fairfield, Buffalo, Jewett, Madisonville, Huntsville and Conroe,” Thomas said. “Visitors and residents alike can download the Geocaching Passport, which contains all of the coordinates and instructions, on the Conroe Convention and Visitors Bureau website, www.playinconroe.com, or by reaching out to any individual member city of the association.” Once the passport is in hand, the geocacher will pinpoint the coordinates and explore the area until the cache is found. Each geocache has a log sheet to sign in if desired, as well as a code word to record in the passport. “Geocachers can receive a special souvenir at each participating office once the passport has been completed,” Thomas said. “They’ll also have the chance to enter in a final drawing for a chance to win a prize valued up to $1,000, which includes gifts from all eleven I-45 Corridor Association member cities.” To enter, participants must find at least one geocache from each of the six participating cities and record the corresponding code word in their passport. The passport must then be submitted by Labor Day along with contact information to one of the participating cities. The winner will be notified by September 15. For more information, contact the Statue Visitor Center at (936) 291- 9726. Looking for a fun summer activity? Try geocaching! I-45 Corridor Association organizes six-city campaign Hurricane season: Strategies to prepare the whole family The 2014 Hurricane Season will continue through November, and all residents are encouraged to review their emergency preparedness, family and household preparation and other safety measures. According to John Waldo, City of Huntsville EMC, many of the efforts made to prepare for hurricane season can be applied to a host of other hazards and natural disasters, and there is ample information available to residents who choose to prepare. “Hurricane season takes place from June through November, and you need to be prepared,” Waldo said. “Knowing the steps to take during a disaster – whether that disaster is flooding, tornadoes or hurricanes – can greatly reduce the danger and distress your family may face. “Residents have a lot to consider during storm season – having money set aside, maintaining food and water storage, keeping the car full of fuel, having an escape plan, knowing what to do with elderly family members and taking care of pets. “Above all, having a plan is one of the most important steps you can take in disaster preparedness. Knowing what to do and how to do it can help your family manage disasters with less worry, fear and uncertainty. Citizens should make sure their own preparations for hurricane season are complete.” Coping with disaster The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides helpful information on the emotional effects of dealing with disaster events, and how adults can assist not only their children but also elderly members of the family with coping with the emotional toll. FEMA’s disaster survivor assistance Web site, http://www.fema.gov/ coping-disaster, discusses the signs of disaster-related stress in adults as well as risk factors to look for in children of various ages. See the sidebar for more information. For many children, reactions to disasters are brief and represent normal reactions to "abnormal events." A smaller number of children can be at risk for more enduring psychological distress as a function of three major risk factors: •Direct exposure to the disaster, such as being evacuated, observing injuries or death of others, or experiencing injury along with fearing one’s life is in danger. •Loss/grief related to the death or serious injury of family or friends. •Ongoing stress from the secondary effects of disaster, such as temporarily living elsewhere, loss of friends and social networks, loss of personal property, parental unemployment, and costs incurred during recovery to return the family to pre-disaster life and living conditions. Suggestions to help reassure children include the following: •Personal contact is reassuring. Hug and touch your children. •Calmly provide factual information about the recent disaster and current plans for insuring their safety along with recovery plans. •Re-establish your daily routine . •Encourage your children to help update your a family disaster plan. The site also suggests limiting a child’s exposure to news and media coverage related to a disaster. Particularly for younger children, repeated images of an event may cause them to believe the event is recurring over and over. Check future City Connections for more detailed information on hurricane preparedness topics including family care, food and water storage and supply, and pet care. For more information, contact John Waldo at (936) 291-5945. A Child's Reaction to Disaster by Age Below are common reactions in children after a disaster or traumatic event. Birth through 2 years. When children are pre-verbal and experience a trauma, they do not have the words to describe the event or their feelings. However, they can retain memories of particular sights, sounds, or smells. Infants may react to trauma by being irritable, crying more than usual, or wanting to be held and cuddled. The biggest influence on children of this age is how their parents cope. As children get older, their play may involve acting out elements of the traumatic event that occurred several years in the past and was seemingly forgotten. Preschool - 3 through 6 years. Preschool children often feel helpless and powerless in the face of an overwhelming event. Because of their age and small size, they lack the ability to protect themselves or others. As a result, they feel intense fear and insecurity about being separated from caregivers. Preschoolers cannot grasp the concept of permanent loss. They can see consequences as being reversible or permanent. In the weeks following a traumatic event, preschoolers’ play activities may reenact the incident or the disaster over and over again. School age - 7 through 10 years. The school-age child has the ability to understand the permanence of loss. Some children become intensely preoccupied with the details of a traumatic event and want to talk about it continually. This preoccupation can interfere with the child’s concentration at school and academic performance may decline. At school, children may hear inaccurate information from peers. They may display a wide range of reactions — sadness, generalized fear, or specific fears of the disaster happening again, guilt over action or inaction during the disaster, anger that the event was not prevented, or fantasies of playing rescuer. Pre-adolescence to adolescence - 11 through 18 years. As children grow older, they develop a more sophisticated understanding of the disaster event. Their responses are more similar to adults. Teenagers may become involved in dangerous, risk-taking behaviors, such as reckless driving, or alcohol or drug use. Others can become fearful of leaving home and avoid previous levels of activities. Much of adolescence is focused on moving out into the world. After a trauma, the view of the world can seem more dangerous and unsafe. A teenager may feel overwhelmed by intense emotions and yet feel unable to discuss them with others. City of Huntsville Recycling Guidelines Direct questions to (936) 294-5743 Curbside recycling guidelines: 1. Rinse all plastics and cans to remove residue 2. Only plastics 1-7 stamped with number and symbol 3. Flatten items to save room inside of cart 4. Keep cart five (5) feet from all other objects including vehicles 5. Carts must be placed at the curb or street’s edge no later than 6:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Carts must be removed from the street’s edge by the end of the collection day (carts cannot be stored at the street’s edge) Items that cannot be placed in the City cart: Garbage, food waste, yard waste, shredded paper, glass/oil/filters, batteries, cell phones, electronics, Styrofoam or aluminum foil. Recycling Drop-Off Center Information: The Recycling Center accepts self-hauled recyclable items and is located at 590 I-45 North. The Recycling Center Attendant will be onsite to assist customers from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday - Friday. Drop-offs can still be made Monday - Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and holiday closings are posted. Recycling Drop-off Center Guidelines: Aluminum - Soda cans, beer cans: Flattened/unflattened, place in plastic trash bags. Keep aluminum cans separate from steel cans. NO FOIL, BAKING PANS OR FOOD TRAYS. Steel Cans - Food cans, pet food cans, aerosol cans: Rinse out the can, you can leave the label on. Put the cans in plastic trash bags. Aerosol cans must be empty. Newspaper - Whatever comes inside the newspaper can be recycled. Stack and put in paper bags or cardboard boxes. Throw away plastic rain sleeves and rubber bands. Magazines - catalogs, phone books: Keep separate from newspaper. Place in brown bags or small cardboard boxes. DO NOT place in plastic bags. Paper - White or colored paper, remove paper clips, rubber bands and staples if possible. Put in small boxes or paper stacks. Glass - Clear or brown only: Throw away lids, rinse out. You can leave the label on. Place clear glass and brown glass in separate containers. NO window panes, light bulbs or dishware. Cardboard - Toilet/paper towel cores, food boxes, medicine boxes, shoe boxes, shipping/moving boxes, sugar bags, dog/cat food bags, paper bags. NO packing materials, plastic liners or foam. Plastics - Numbered 1-7: Recycling symbol and number are required. Milk Jugs and Water Jugs - Throw away cap/lid. Rinse with warm water and try to flatten. Place these items in plastic trash bags by themselves. Keep these jugs separate from soda bottles or colored plastic. Other #1 and #2 Plastic Containers - Examples of other recyclable containers: syrup bottles #3, snap-on coffee lids #4, cottage cheese containers #5, yogurt containers #6, and ketchup bottles #7 Plastic bags - Must have recycling symbol visible on the bag. These can be some grocery bags, shopping bags, dry cleaning bags, etc. Place all plastic bags into one and tie shut. No plastic wrap, shrink wrap or bubble wrap. No Styrofoam, even if it has a recycling number and symbol on item. Drop-off Center Also Accepts: Used motor oil, oil filters, cooking oil and antifreeze. Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for Area curbside recycling schedules and more recycling information. Yard Waste Specifics Collection Service: 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesday of each month - No call-in required! Yard waste is classified as leaves, grass, pine needles, yard clippings and small brush, items referred to as “green waste.” The total number of bagged, canned or bundled yard waste is limited to twelve (12) per household per collection day. All yard waste materials must be placed within two (2) feet of street’s edge no later than 6:00 a.m. on the morning of the scheduled pick-up. Yard waste such as leaves, grass, pine needles or small clippings must be: (1) Bagged (bags not to exceed 30 gallons) or placed in personal garbage; (2) Cannot exceed 50 pounds each; (3) City-issued garbage and recycling carts cannot be filled with yard waste. Tree limbs and brush must be: (1) No longer than four (4) feet in length; (2) Limbs no larger than four (4) inches in diameter; (3) Must be tied securely in bundles which cannot exceed two (2) feet in diameter and can’t exceed 50 pounds each. The following items and locations DO NOT qualify for Yard Waste pick-up: (1) Household garbage of any kind; (2) Anything other than green waste: NO flower pots, fertilizer, mulch, bags, dirt, potting soil, sand, rock, gravel, etc. (3) Commercial businesses or commercially generated yard waste. Bring your City utility bill showing that you pay for garbage service and dispose of your yard waste at the City Transfer Station free of charge. This excludes commercial customers, yard waste contractors and any lawn service providers. The customer must be present with their current City garbage bill at the time of disposal. The yard trimmings must not be bagged. For more information on yard waste trimming collection services, contact the Solid Waste Services Division at (936) 294-5743. The Huntsville Police Officers Association is preparing for its annual Team Roping Fundraiser, and attendees and potential participants are encouraged to mark their calendars! According to Huntsville Police Department Sergeant Eric Scott, the event will be held on October 19 at the Walker County Fairgrounds, and the money raised will go directly back into the local community to support children’s activities and organizations. “We are very excited to host our fourth annual Team Roping Fundraiser,” Scott said. “HPOA, which includes both civilian and uniformed employees of the Huntsville Police Department, works with community sponsors to coordinate prizes for the event, as well as food and beverages for the concession stand. Then, we open the event up to individuals who wish to register to compete for a $25 entry fee. We take 30 percent of those fees for the fundraiser, and the remaining 70 percent goes into a pot for the winners.” Scott said HPOA was able to donate funding to several community organizations including the Huntsville Lions Club, the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce, the Walker County Fair Association (for student projects) and more. For more information, contact Scott at (936) 291- 5497. HPOA preparing for annual fundraiser The City of Huntsville has added a new outreach method to its communication platform: the bi-monthly, digital newsletter entitled “This Week in Huntsville.” By now, residents have likely seen notices about the publication, but may still have some questions about it, especially as it relates to - and differs from - the City Connection. We collected some of the most frequently asked questions about the publication and compiled the answers below. We hope this article is helpful for all of our readers. Why is the City distributing an additional newsletter? The City Connection, distributed monthly along with customer utility bills, has endured as a method of communication because it ends up in the hands of our residents. However, not every resident in the City receives a utility bill – such as those living in apartment complexes whose utility costs are integrated into rental fees. “This Week in Huntsville” allows any Huntsville resident – or anyone interested in what’s happening locally – to sign up via email subscription and stay informed about City news and events. Why distribute “This Week in Huntsville” in a digital format? The significant benefits of creating and distributing “This Week in Huntsville” as a digital publication include cost effectiveness, accessibility for a much larger audience, and the ability to design the publication in color. This attribute supports the use of crisp, high-quality photos and color-based graphics. Where can I find previous issues of “This Week in Huntsville”? The digital newsletter is archived on the City’s Web site for one year, and the most recent issues are available from the front page of the site in the “City News” section. How do I sign up to receive the newsletter? Signing up is easy! Just visit the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov, and click on “e-News Subscriptions” on the left side of the page. From there, enter a valid email address, select “This Week in Huntsville” and click on “Subscribe.” With any questions about the newsletter, how to sign up or to suggest story ideas for any of the City’s publications, contact the City Secretary’s office at (936) 291-5403 or (936) 291- 5413. City establishes new digital publication Frequently asked questions about “This Week in Huntsville”