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November 2006 CC City Connection City Connection City Connection City Connection November 2006 Volume 3, Number 2 www.huntsvilletx.gov Spotlight on Parks Gillaspie Park is lo- cated across from the Sam Houston Gravesite at Oakwood Cemetery. At the center of this small park is the Vet- eran's Memorial Mon- ument which was erected in 1936 dur- ing the centennial celebration. Land- scaping includes crepe myrtles and small shrubs with park benches availa- GILLASPIE PARK 890 Avenue I ble for visitors. The original prop- erty was part of the W. O. B. Gil- laspie Estate. Ad- ditional park area was acquired from the Huntsville In- dependent School District in 1993 making a total of .35 acres. rkader@huntsvilletx.gov Introducing Huntsville City Council —Part II Mr. Mac Wood- ward is a sixth genera- tion resident of Huntsville serving his second term on City Coun- cil. Mac's wife, Leanne, teaches in the Huntsville public schools. They have two children, Anne Gibbs and Wilbourn Thomas. Mac received his Bachelor of Arts from Sam Houston State University and Master of Arts in History from the University of Houston. He is Curator of Collections at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum at Sam Houston State University. Mac has served on the City of Hunts- ville's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and the Oakwood Cemetery Adviso- ry Board. Mac is a member of the First United Methodist Church, the Sons of the American Revolution, and the Sons of the Republic of Texas. mwoodward@huntsvilletx.gov Melissa Templeton- Mahaffey was born and raised in Lake Jackson, Texas and graduated from Sam Houston State University Magna Cum Laude in 1976 with a BAT. Melissa holds a Texas Teaching Certificate. She then went to work in Hou- ston for Fluor Engineering as a Material Control Spe- cialist after completing the Piping Material Control Certification. Melissa married Mr. James Tem- pleton in 1978 and moved her home to Huntsville to operate a Texaco gas sta- tion. Melissa spent the next 17 years operating several convenience stores and gas stations that she owned. She also owned and operated a catering business for ten years and an oilfield equipment leasing compa- ny for two years during this time. Melissa’s daughter, Carol, was born in 1984 and recent- ly graduated from the University of Texas. Melissa made the decision to return to school in 1995. She later graduated with a MA is Counseling and earned her Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Mar- riage and Family Thera- pist Credentials while working at Tri-County MHMR and in private practice. Melissa current- ly teaches at Sam Hou- ston State University, manages her rental prop- erty and she is the song leader at her church. Melissa and her husband, Dr. Karl Mahaffey, M.D. have made their home in the Avenues of Huntsville, Texas. REMINDER... RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS It’s time to “winterize” your sew- er charge Water meter usage for the months of Novem- ber through February are used to calculate your new sewer aver- age charge for the next year. Conscious- ly reducing your water usage during these months could lower your sewer charge. You can reduce your usage by limiting or completely eliminating outside watering. The new sewer average charge will be effec- tive with the April 2007 billing (due in May). kcox@huntsvilletx.gov 42 Dominoes Held the 3rd Friday of each month at West Hill Mall For more information con- tact the Recreation Ser- vices Division at 936-294- 5725 or visit our website at www.huntsvilletx.gov/ parks/recreation.htm Youth Basketball For more information contact the Recreation Services Division at 936- 294-5725 or visit our website at www.huntsvilletx.gov/ parks/recreation.htm rkader@huntsvilletx.gov PAGE 2 Police/Fire Statistics September Police:Police:Police: · Calls for service: 4014 ··· Accidents investigated: 83 ··· Animal Control com- plaints investigated: 64 Fire:Fire:Fire: · Calls for service: 98 · Main alarm calls: 12 The City of Huntsville Fire Depart- ment re- sponds to around 1500 calls each year. With 3 fire sta- tions, we assist the other 6 volunteer departments in Walker County to protect over 790 square miles of territory. We are one of the few departments in the State that has a predomi- nantly volunteer depart- ment that serves a commu- nity our size. We have 6 paid firefighters, 1 paid Chief and 38 dedicat- ed volunteer firefighters. A majority of these dedi- cated volunteers work at a job for 40 plus hours a week in such varied occu- pations as accountants, police officers, welders and correctional officers. They also have families that play an important part of their lives. Our volunteer firefighters typi- cally respond to around 20 emergency calls per month, with an average of around 14 hours of train- ing per month as well. For these firefighters, sleep and family time are hard to come by, since fires happen at all times, day and night, weekends and holidays. Chances are that you know at least one of these firefighters. In most situations at a fire scene in Huntsville or Walker County, a majority of the firefighters will be volunteers. We are blessed to have each and every volunteer firefighter that helps to protect our community. If you see one of these dedicated community helpers, please take the time to thank them. They are the backbone of the Fire Department that are here to protect you and your family. jjanuary@huntsvilletx.gov NOVEMBER CITY CONNECTION CITY CONNECTION CITY CONNECTION CITY CONNECTION FIRE PROTECTION DURING THE HOLIDAYS The holiday season always brings a level of concern to the firefighters in Walker County. With the addi- tion of space heaters, holiday cooking, candles and live Christ- mas trees we see an increase in residential fires during this time of year. When decorating your home for the holidays we ask that you keep in mind the following safety concerns: Holiday Decorating & Lighting Use caution with holiday decora- tions and whenever possible, choose those made with flame- resistant, flame-retardant or non- combustible materials. Keep candles away from decora- tions and other combustible mate- rials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees. Purchase only lights and electrical decorations bearing the name of an independent testing lab, and follow the manufacturer's instruc- tions for installation and mainte- nance. Carefully inspect new and previ- ously used light strings and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. Do not overload exten- sion cords. Always unplug lights before replac- ing light bulbs or fuses. Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insula- tion (i.e., use clips, not nails). Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decora- tions. Turn off all light strings and deco- rations before leaving the house or going to bed. Holiday Entertaining Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the U.S. When cooking for holiday visitors, remember to keep an eye on the range. Provide plenty of large, deep ash- trays and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so com- pletely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding, or flush them down the toilet. After a party, always check on, between and under upholstery and cushions and inside trash cans for cigarette butts that may be smol- dering. Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of chil- dren (preferably in a locked cabi- net). When smokers visit your home, ask them to keep their smoking materials with them so young children do not touch them. If you have any questions or con- cerns, please do not hesitate to call Chief Tom Grisham or his staff at Fire Station #2 at 291-3047. jjanuary@huntsvilletx.gov The City of Huntsville Solid Waste Divi- sion will observe Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, November 23, 2006. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no garbage collected residentially on that date. Businesses with commercial dumpsters will be collected on their reg- ular schedule. The Solid Waste Transfer Facility will be closed to the public on Thursday, No- vember 23, 2006, but will be open as usual on Friday, November 24, 2006. The Recycling Drop-Off Center, located at 590 IH-45 North, will be closed to the public on Thursday, November 23, 2006 and Friday, November 24, 2006. If you have any questions about the garbage collection, the Solid Waste Transfer Facility, or the Recycling Drop- Off Center, please call the Solid Waste Division at 936-294-5723. Thanksgiving Holiday Solid Waste Pick-Up Schedule All food service establishment permits expire on December 31, 2006. Look for your application by mail or pick one up at the City Service Center located at 448 State Highway 75 North. For ques- tions, please call 294-5717. Notice to Food Service Establishments NOVEMBER CITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTION ION ION ION PAGE 3 Food Service Establishments Food service estab- lishments located in the city limits of Huntsville that sell or serve food to the pub- lic must get an annual permit and be in- spected by the City of Huntsville Health In- spection Division. These food establish- ments include full- service restaurants, fast food establish- ments, bakeries, cof- fee shops, delis, meat markets and food sec- tions in grocery stores, bars/pubs, convenience stores, mobile units, day care centers, elderly cen- ters and more. There are approxi- mately 220 permitted food service establish- ments in Huntsville. These food establish- ments are inspected 2 -3 times throughout the year. The purpose of the inspections is to assure that the food is being handled properly from delivery through service to the customer. On-site training and education are a vital part of the inspection. Health Inspectors observe kitchen employees' food handling prac- tices, assure equip- ment is working properly, take food temperatures, in- spect refrigerators/ coolers/freezers and storage areas, as- sure water tempera- tures and correct levels of sanitizers are used in dish- washing, make sure excess grease is re- moved from cooking vent hoods and sew- er systems. Any vio- lation found is writ- ten up and the cor- rect procedure or repairs needed are explained to the manager. Corrective actions are request- ed immediately on- site or by the next inspection. Food service establish- ments are required to have a Certified Food Manager and employees are re- quired to have a Food Handler Card. These classes are available at Sam Houston State Uni- versity Continuing Education. Practicing food safety makes Huntsville a safer place to dine. WHEN A PERMIT IS NEEDED If you are an owner or someone who is authorized by an owner and you in- tend to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupan- cy use of a building it is required by the ordinances of the City of Huntsville to make application with the City and obtain a building per- mit before you start your work. The application pro- cess can be as sim- ple as filling out a one page application, depending on the size and scope of your project. For ex- ample, the repair or replacement of raft- ers during the re- roofing of your house would only require the filling out of an application to obtain a permit. Or some- times, an applica- tion and a site plan are all you need. An example of this would be for the placement of a work shed in your back yard. Larger projects such as new homes or room additions to your home will make it necessary for you to submit construction draw- ings with your ap- plication. There are also pro- jects that do not require permits. For example, painting, floor cov- erings, replace- ment of siding, or other types of non- structural work do not typically re- quire the necessity for a permit. Be- cause of today’s technologies and sometimes confus- ing rules, it can be hard or even frus- trating to know when permits are needed or when they are not. If you are not sure, please contact the permit- ting personnel at 936-294-5717 and they will be glad to assist you in deter- mining if a permit is needed for your project. If a permit is needed, assis- tance will be provid- ed for you in the form of helpful in- formation packets or just simply sitting down with the In- spection staff and discussing your pro- ject. The permit- ting/inspection of- fice is located at 448 State Highway 75 North. Sewer Back-Ups Sewer back-ups are a frustrating experi- ence for property owners. In the City of Huntsville, as in other municipalities, the property owner is responsible for maintenance of the lateral line all the way to the sewer main. The City is re- sponsible for main- taining the main sewer line only. Sew- er lines may some- times become blocked due to build- up or debris in the pipes, which some- times results in a back up. A large deluge of rain or flood waters may also cause back-ups when the main lines become over- whelmed with runoff. The Public Utilities department will re- spond and investi- gate all sewer back- ups. If there is a problem with the main line, the De- partment will make sure the problem is addressed and re- paired as soon as possible. However, if the problem is within a lateral line, the property owner will be informed and advised to call a licensed plumber. Residents experi- encing sewer back ups may call 294- Grant Project Receives TCEQ Approval The City of Huntsville Solid Waste Services was granted $175,288 to purchase a heavy trash truck for recy- cling pickup service. Twenty-eight total pro- jects from the thirteen county members of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC) submitted varying grant requests for Fis- cal Year 2007 with only sixteen receiving final approval by the TCEQ. The heavy trash truck with dual loader will be purchased with the grant and will be used to collect heavy recyclables such as appliances, large limbs and brush, and salvaged construction items from demolished structures. The re- cyclable appliances would be collected via “call ins” for scheduled pick up dates and would eventually eliminate the abandoning of such on curbs or bar ditches. A similar scheduled collection schedule of large limbs and brush would reduce the unsafe manner in which rural area citi- zens have historically disposed of their limbs and brush. Fi- nally, the collection of reusable and recy- cle construction ma- terial from new or dilapidated struc- tures can be distrib- uted through our TIPS warehouse pro- gram to indigent and non-profit organiza- tions. The City of Hunts- ville Solid Waste Services expects to positively impact our environment and neighborhood beautification with the heavy trash truck grant project funded by the HGAC. NOVEMBER CITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTCITY CONNECTION ION ION ION PAGE 4 City Calendar November 14 City Council Meeting at City Hall @ 6:00 pm 23 &24 City Offices Closed—Thanksgiving Holidays December 12 City Council Meeting at City Hall @ 6:00 pm 25 &26 City Offices Closed—Christmas Holidays Visit www.huntsvilletx.gov for a complete/current calendar of events The first art exhibit in the Arts Center’s Brown Wynne Gallery is from Stephanie and John Smither’s collection of Texas self-taught artists. These artists usu- ally turned to artistic expression late in life, often in response to a life change such as retirement, or as in the case of Ezekiel Gibbs, the death of a spouse. Two of the artists start- ed making art when they were incar- cerated; Frank Jones, the most in- ternationally known of Texas self- taught artists, was a Huntsville in- mate who won the first Prison Art Show in the 60’s. Two other artists were confined to mental institutions. The wide range of their artistic tech- niques is fascinating and often unique – they used everything from pencils and crayons to oils and house paint. Two wood carvers are repre- sented, and the wonderful “music man” is a variation of papier mache. Two art works are by Simone Robin- son Corley, a Huntsville artist. Eve- ryone from the very young to very old will enjoy this inaugural exhibit. Participants may still register for the Fiber Arts single sessions on Satur- days, and Dr. Ralph Pease’s Monday Night Movies. Registration is also open for December single Saturday classes in Children’s Cooking, Journal Making, and a Ballet Folklorico work- shop. Seventy children and adults are now enrolled in the fall class series. A reception will be held from 2 – 4 pm on November 18 to showcase their work. A book, The Wynne Home: Then and Now will soon be available in time for Christmas giving. The Wynne Home Arts Center is open dai- ly Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 until 6:00 and Saturday from 10:00 until 2:00. Visitors are welcome. For further information call 291-5424. lpease@huntsvilletx.gov City Hall 295-6471 1212 Avenue M Administration 291-5400 Economic Dev 294-5760 Finance 291-5440 Passports 291-5461 Employment Info 291-5415 Water/Utility Billing/Customer Service 291-5431 Fire Department 2109 Sam Houston Avenue Emergency 911 Non-Emergency/Business 291-3047 Housing Authority 724 Thomason 294-0277 Library 1216 14th Street 291-5472 Speech/Hearing Impaired-TDD Required - TDD and Voice 291-5491 Main Street Program 291-5920 1203 University Ave. FREQUENTLY DIALED NUMBERS—Amended Municipal Court 717 FM2821 W 291-5476 Police Department 1220 11th Street Emergency 911 Non-Emergency/Dispatcher 435-8001 Admin/Investigation 291-5480 Animal Control 291-5480 Recycling Center 590 I-45 N 294-5723 Service Center 448 Hwy 75 N 294-5710 After Hours & Emergency 294-5700 Code Enforcement 294-5717 Community Services 294-5708 Customer Service 294-5700 Drainage Maintenance 294-5700 Engineering/Survey 294-5794 Fleet Maintenance 294-5729 Health Inspections 294-5717 Inspection Requests/Bldg. 294-5717 Parks Maintenance 294-5720 Permit Information 294-5717 Planning 294-5782 Public Utilities Admin 294-5707 Public Works Admin 294-5794 Purchasing 291-5423 Speech/Hearing Impaired-TDD Re- quired— TDD and Voice 295-6471 Recreation Programs 294-5725 Solid Waste Collection 294-5710 Street Maintenance 294-5700 Warehouse 294-5738 Water/Sewer Maintenance 294-5700 Palm St. Water Plant 291-5970 Water Outages 291-5700 Yard Waste & Heavy Trash Pick Up 294-5796 Solid Waste Disposal/Transfer Facility 590 I-45 N 295-4607 Wynne Home 1428 11th Street 291-5424 Arts Comm/Cultural Srvcs 291-5422 Coloring Contest Thank you to the children (and their parents) that submitted drawings for the contest that ran in the October issue. We had planned to an- nounce the contest winners in this issue but due to time restraints with the publishing company we will have to run the names and photos of the winners in the December issue. RIF is coming! The Huntsville Public Library will be hosting the third RIF distribution De- cember 4th through 8th. RIF (Reading is Fundamental) is a national pro- gram that promotes reading in young children by providing the op- portunity to select and keep books at no cost. RIF, Inc., Huntsville Kiwanis Club, Huntsville Public Library, and HISD partner each year to bring the program to Huntsville area third- graders. During RIF week, the stu- dents come to the library to select a paperback for their own. The Kiwanis Club provides volunteers and fund- ing. Besides receiving a book, stu- dents are treated to story readings by local volun- teers, taken on a tour of the library and par-ticipate in a drama with members of the Hunts- ville Beautification Committee. At the third distribution, these third graders will receive their own Huntsville Pub- lic Library card. Kiwanis President Brian Matthys regards this as a very worthwhile program. “It encourages reading and the love of books. It also makes a lasting impression on the children.” Director of Library Ser- vices, Linda Dodson, says she has many adults, who still recall their RIF visits as third graders. Special Christmas Story Hour! Santa Claus will visit the Huntsville Public Library for Story Hour on De- cember 14, 2006, at 10:30 A.M. Bring your little one in for stories and a per- sonal chat with Santa. tnewman@huntsvilletx.gov “LIBRARY HAPPENINGS”