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6-13 Connection CITY CONNECTION Visit us online at Visit us online at Visit us online at Visit us online at www.huntsvilletx.gov for www.huntsvilletx.gov for www.huntsvilletx.gov for www.huntsvilletx.gov for more information!more information!more information!more information! Volume 9, Issue 9 June 2013June 2013June 2013June 2013 Calendar June 2013June 2013June 2013June 2013 4 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 5 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 6 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. 12 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 18 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 19 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 20 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 26 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste July 2013July 2013July 2013July 2013 2 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 3 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 4** Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 12 p.m. (TENTATIVE) 10 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 16 City Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. 17 Yard Waste Trimming Collection 18 Planning & Zoning Commission - City Hall at 5:30 p.m. 24 Heavy Trash & Large Yard Waste 31 Yard Waste Trimming Collection Submit requests for Heavy Trash pick-up before noon on Monday, the week of the pick- up at (936) 294-5796. The Huntsville Aquatic Center opened for the season on June 1, and resi- dents are encouraged to take advantage of regular pool hours, swim lessons and much more. According to Jay Miller, Aquatic Center Manager, summer passes are availa- ble for purchase for individuals and families, and parents may sign their chil- dren up for swim lessons throughout the season. “There’s going to be something for everyone to enjoy at the Huntsville Aquatic Center this summer,” Miller said. “We’ve been working tirelessly to prepare the pool for the summer season, and we’re excited to see families, children of all ages and our local swim teams come take advantage of this facility. “It’s not too late to sign up for swimming lessons, either. Our first class will be held from June 10 through 21, but we have classes starting as late as August 5, so don’t hesitate to visit the Aquatic Center, learn about the classes and register children ages three and up.” Beginning June 1 through the end of the season – typically in September – the Aquatic Center will be open Tuesday to Friday and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admittance fees are $2.50 for children ages three to 11, $4.00 for children 12 and over, and free for children two and under. Summer passes are $40 for ages 3-11, $50 for ages 12 and up, $100 for family passes (up to four members) and $20 for addi- tional members. Swim lessons will be offered from June 10 to 21, July 8 through 19, July 22 through August 2, and August 5 through 16. During those periods, children age three to five will swim from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., ages six and seven will swim from 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and ages eight and up will swim from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. “We welcome our citizens to utilize the Aquatic Center as much as possible,” Miller said. “Please note, two local swim teams will utilize the pool throughout the summer – during these time windows, the public will have access to the facility but should expect a higher volume of attendants.” The AGS Swim Team will practice Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The 2013 Lakers Swim Team will practice Monday to Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., with home meets scheduled for June 15 and June 22. “Use of the Aquatic Center requires that guests wear approved swimwear on- ly,” Miller said. “Any staff member at the facility can discuss these require- ments as needed. “Lesson registration and swim passes must be obtained at the facility, locat- ed at 912 Avenue N.” Contact Miller at (936) 291-5433 for more information. Join the fun at the Huntsville Aquatic CenterJoin the fun at the Huntsville Aquatic CenterJoin the fun at the Huntsville Aquatic CenterJoin the fun at the Huntsville Aquatic Center Stats for April 2013Stats for April 2013Stats for April 2013Stats for April 2013 Fire:Fire:Fire:Fire: Police:Police:Police:Police: Calls for service: 3724 Accidents investigated: 112 Animal Control complaints investigated:65 Calls for service: 120 Main alarm calls: 17 Police/Police/Police/Police/Fire: Fire: Fire: Fire: The 2013 Hurricane Season will begin June 1, and all resi- dents are encouraged to review their emergency prepared- ness, 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 pre- pare. “Hurricane season takes place from June through Novem- ber, 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 stor- age, 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.” Many national agencies offer critical information both on how to prepare for natural disasters and what to do once they hit. The agencies below each offer comprehensive Web sites to help residents and families gather the necessary elements to survive. The American Red Cross provides information on a variety of emergencies, including drought, earthquakes, flooding and hurricanes. The main “Types of Emergency” page can be found at http://www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster, and it Get to know your City!Get to know your City!Get to know your City!Get to know your City! Sign up for our weekly eSign up for our weekly eSign up for our weekly eSign up for our weekly e----newsletter,newsletter,newsletter,newsletter, “This Week in Huntsville”“This Week in Huntsville”“This Week in Huntsville”“This Week in Huntsville” If you’d like more information, sign up to receive our new weekly e-newsletter, “This Week in Huntsville.” You’ll receive regular updates, information about ongoing projects and special event dates. Just visit www.huntsvilletx.gov, click on “e-News Subscriptions” in the left column, and register with an active email account. includes information on understanding each type of emergen- cy, preparation and response both during and after the event. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is another criti- cal tool for residents, Waldo said. “FEMA has excellent information to offer online, including an extremely detailed family disaster supplies kit,” he said. “Having an emergency plan and a disaster kit will help you manage in almost every kind of crisis, and FEMA recom- mends keeping the kit in the trunk of your car at all times in case an emergency hits without warning.” The FEMA disaster supply kit page can be found at http:// www.fema.gov/pdf/library/fdsk.pdf. Ready.gov, a Web site created and maintained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, also offers valuable infor- mation. At the direct link for hurricane preparedness, http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes, information is again pro- vided for before, during and after a hurricane. In the “Before” tab, the organization provides detailed instruction on ready- ing the home for disastrous winds, rain and debris, as well as other tips. As well, the “Resources” tab provides links to key FEMA and American Red Cross publications, related Web sites and training opportunities. Finally, the National Hurricane Center – maintained by the National Weather Service – offers forecast information, out- reach and education links and detailed maps to allow citizens to follow incoming storms and create an applicable prepara- tion schedule. The Web site can be accessed at http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/. Check back in future City Connections for more detailed infor- mation on hurricane preparedness topics including family care, food and water storage and supply, and pet care. For more information, contact Waldo at (936) 291-5945. Hurricane Season: Information sources for family, home preparednessHurricane Season: Information sources for family, home preparednessHurricane Season: Information sources for family, home preparednessHurricane Season: Information sources for family, home preparedness Every Saturday through July 27Every Saturday through July 27Every Saturday through July 27Every Saturday through July 27 Huntsville Downtown Huntsville Downtown Huntsville Downtown Huntsville Downtown Farmers Market is back!Farmers Market is back!Farmers Market is back!Farmers Market is back! For more information, call Main Street at (936) 291-5920 or visit huntsvilledown- townfarmersmarket.weebly.com. Summer fun at the Huntsville Summer fun at the Huntsville Summer fun at the Huntsville Summer fun at the Huntsville Public Library!Public Library!Public Library!Public Library! Every Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m., children are invited to participate in Story Hour, with HPL Children’s Coordinator Janelle Valera and her friend, Otis. For more information and dates and times for other children’s and teen events throughout the summer, visit: www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com. Wynne Home to offer two Wynne Home to offer two Wynne Home to offer two Wynne Home to offer two distinguished art showsdistinguished art showsdistinguished art showsdistinguished art shows June 1 June 1 June 1 June 1 ---- September 14: September 14: September 14: September 14: “Dimensions” and “For the Love of the Horse”“Dimensions” and “For the Love of the Horse”“Dimensions” and “For the Love of the Horse”“Dimensions” and “For the Love of the Horse” Beginning June 1 and continuing through September, two galleries in the Wynne Home Arts Center will feature works of art in a variety of mediums. In the Brown Wynne Gallery, “Dimensions: A Community Artists Show,” will feature over thirty pieces in a variety of media, and in the Friends of the Wynne Sales Gallery, eight prints from photographer Barbara Sloan’s “For the Love of the Horse” collection will be on sale. “We would love to see our community come out to enjoy these two shows,” Cultural Services Coordinator Linda Pease said. “In the ‘Dimensions’ show, there will be multiple mediums on display, from oil paintings and sculpture to drawings and photographs. “There are over 30 pieces in this show by many different artists, and they’re all really beautiful.” Pease said 20 percent of the sales from the ‘Dimensions’ show would go to the Wynne Home, while 100 percent of the sales from the Friends of the Wynne Sales Gallery would benefit the program. Pictured to the left is “Peruvian Paso Brio,” a gelatin silver print from the Sloan collection. “All of Barbara Sloan’s work is just beautiful, and we’re so grateful to have pieces available for purchase,” Pease said. Come visit at 1428 11th Street!Come visit at 1428 11th Street!Come visit at 1428 11th Street!Come visit at 1428 11th Street! The City of Huntsville will partner with five Sam Houston State University students as part of the Summer 2013 internship program. According to Main Street Coordinator Kim McAuliffe, who co- ordinated the internships for all five participating depart- ments, each student will complete a special project related to their field of work. “The internship program is a great partnership between the City of Huntsville and Sam Houston State University,” she said. “It really helps to strengthen our university relations and gives us insight into what the student population desires from the community.” The Summer 2013 interns include Ariel Traub, who will work in the Main Street office; Lexi Gonzeles, assigned to the Wynne Home Arts Center; Dulce Martinez, whose focus will be the Finance Department; Zach Goodlander, assigned to Solid Waste and Recycling; and Kevin O’Shea, who will be working with the GIS Division. According to McAuliffe, Ariel Traub – a Political Science/ Business student – will work on organizing a new event called Junk-A-Rama, a community-wide garage sale. “Ms. Traub will coordinate, plan and market the Junk-A-Rama event, which will occur in either June or July,” McAuliffe said. “In addition to that event, she will work on the Historic Busi- ness Inventory project and Downtown Farmers Market. “What’s great about the intern program is that the students receive hands-on professional experience, and the City re- ceives fresh ideas and a creative workforce.” According to Linda Pease, Cultural Services Coordinator, Wynne Home summer intern Lexi Gonzeles will focus primari- ly on the organization of summer classes and programming for children. “We will have classes for both adults and children this sum- mer, and Gonzeles will take the lead in promoting those events and providing the public with information,” Pease said. “She will also pick an independent side project to work on at the Wynne Home. It’s always interesting to see what our interns add to the program.” Kevin O’Shea, who will complete his summer internship with the GIS Department, will be updating “age-of-pipe” information for the City water system. “All of our water lines are mapped, but we don’t have the year they were laid in the ground, so O’Shea will be re- searching this for us and entering it into our waterline GIS layer,” said Eric Pena, GIS Manager. “He’ll be using histor- ic maps, surveys, and project files to determine the ‘age-of -pipe’ for each waterline segment. “GIS internships are always a benefit to both the City of Huntsville and the interns. We’ve completed several im- portant GIS projects with the help of SHSU interns, and they have always come away with new skills and a better understanding of ‘real world’ uses for GIS.” According to Esther Herklotz, Solid Waste and Recycling intern Zach Goodlander will serve several functions, one of which will be the analysis of the City’s recycling program. “Our summer intern will investigate several elements of our curbside recycling program and come up with recom- mendations for how to build higher participation by all of our citizens,” Herklotz said. “He will also disperse perti- nent information to customers and prepare information for our utility billing department.” Finally, the intern working in the City’s Finance Depart- ment, Dulce Martinez, will be working on a system to im- prove the existing accounts payable system. “Martinez will be working on something called a P-Card module, an element of our financial system called New World,” said Marcy Metz, City Accountant II. “This will allow purchases made using the card to be integrated into our accounts payable system.” City welcomes five summer interns to various departmentsCity welcomes five summer interns to various departmentsCity welcomes five summer interns to various departmentsCity welcomes five summer interns to various departments Huntsville Leadership Institute graduatesHuntsville Leadership Institute graduatesHuntsville Leadership Institute graduatesHuntsville Leadership Institute graduates City Council member Keith Olson, Main Street Coordinator Kim McAuliffe and City Engineer Yellambalsi Ramachandra celebrate along with the other 18 graduating members of the Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce Huntsville Leadership Institute’s Class 31. The class graduation ceremony was held May 28 at Shrimpy’s Restaurant. The Huntsville Leadership Institute, a nine-month program, was established to foster the development of community leaders from all segments of the Huntsville/Walker County area, specifically to: Promote leadership as a public responsibility; Identify and develop new and emerging leader candidates for community service and improved business practices; Encourage communication between current/future leaders; Fill key community leadership positions with graduates and develop a large, active group of graduates.