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HomeMy WebLinkAboutreporter.oct05© City of Georgetown, 2005 VOL.3 • NO.10 A Publication of the City of Georgetown October 2005 foot off the ground. Groups start there in order to establish trust and to develop communication and problem-solving skills. The course also offers 22 high elements including the climbing wall, parallel zip lines, high wires, and a trapeze. On all high elements, participants use a safety harness, rope belay, helmet, and other safety equipment to prevent falls or injuries. Hewgley says that scout troops, church youth groups, and corporate groups have been regular users of the course, and he hopes to do more outreach with companies in the area to explain how the Challenge Course can fit into their training programs. For reservations or information, contact Travis Hewgley, Coordinator for the City of Georgetown Challenge Course at (512) 931-2757, or via email at thewgley@georgetowntx.org. What’s a challenge course? Find out for yourself at a fall mini-session! Challenge Course Fall Mini-sessions October 1, 15, and 29 9 a.m. – noon $8 per person Limited space available Call (512) 931-2757 for details. The Challenge Course also offers specifically designed programs that are ideal for improving trust, morale, appropriate risk, group problem solving, group learning, empowerment, taking initiative, dealing with stress, commitment, and more. Special Groups –One day “ropes course” for groups of 4 to 40 participants ranging from age 6 and up! Learn about yourself and those around you in a different way. Church groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and families are encouraged! Business/Corporate Training – half-day, full-day, or two-day programs designed to support the integration of new members into your organization and ensuring they come up to speed quickly! This program combines elements of high and low challenges for participants in a controlled setting. Find out why businesses of all sizes are taking advantage of this innovative way of learning. Groups range in size from 6 to 60. As a ropes course instructor and outdoor awareness educator, Hewgley has experience working with at-risk youths, businesses, and schools as a ropes course instructor at the Y.O. Ranch near Hunt, Texas. “That’s really where I really got hooked on experiential education, which is based on learning by doing,” says Hewgley. Prior to coming to Georgetown, Hewgley founded and directed the Language School of Austin L.L.C. where business professionals could take language classes. Hewgley says his experience with the business community and “learning by doing” will help him to reach out to corporations in the area. Hewgley has a B.A. in Business Communications from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. People who see the Challenge Course for the first time, with its 50-foot climbing wall and poles 35 feet in the air, likely have one of two reactions. “Wow, that looks like fun!” Or, “There’s no way I’d get up there!” Travis Hewgley, the challenge course coordinator, seeks to encourage both types of people by explaining that the core principle of the course is “challenge by choice.” Hewgley says that groups who come to the Challenge Course work through a progression of activities that allows participants to get to know one another, get to know him as an instructor, and build confidence to push past barriers. “It’s amazing for people to see what they can do,” says Hewgley. “The goal is not to be in your panic zone, but for you to make the choice to go beyond your comfort zone.” Hewgley says that the goal of the “challenge by choice,” principle is not to force people to do things, but to create a supportive environ- ment where people go beyond what they thought was possible. Located at the west end of the new San Gabriel River Trail near Bootys Road, the Challenge Course includes a series of low elements, such as walking on a log that is one Expanding Your ‘Comfort Zone’ Challenge Course builds team cohesion, personal confidence Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown Public Information Office located in City Hall, 113 E. 8th Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact Keith Hutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org. effort to overcome guilt that is rooted in childhood. The Speed of Dark,by Elizabeth Moon, a Central Texas author. Moon is a well-known science fiction writer as well as the mother of an autistic teenager. Her most recent novel, set in the not too distant future, depicts an autistic adult who must decide whether to participate in a medical experiment to reverse his autism. The Education of Little Tree,by Forrest Carter. A fictional account of a young orphan boy who was adopted during the Great Depression by his Cherokee grand- mother and half-Cherokee grandfa- ther who lived in the mountains of Tennessee. They teach “Little Tree,” as they call him, Cherokee values and ways, but then he is taken away for schooling by whites who try to force him to assimilate into the Anglo world. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters,by Mark Dunn. Ella Minnow Pea lives on the fictional island of Nollop, named after the man who authored the famous sentence that contains all the letters of the alphabet: “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” When letters begin falling from Nollop’s memorial statue, the totalitarian island Council bans the use of each letter as it falls off. As the letters are banned they disappear from the novel and from the letters Ella writes as she fights for freedom of expression. The process for choosing the book for Georgetown Reads! 2006 is underway. The polls will open on October 1 at the following loca- tions: the Georgetown Public Library, Hill Country Book Store on the Square, and Dog-Eared Books at 2322 N. Austin Avenue. Following are the five books that will be on the ballot. More informa- tion about each of the books is available on the library’s web page at www.georgetowntex.org, or in print at the library’s information desk. Voting continues through October. The Yokota Officers Club,by Sarah Bird, an Austin author. This work of fiction is about life in a military family during the Vietnam era. It is a story of dispossession, loss, fading national glory, family heartbreak—all told hilariously. The Kite Runner,by Khaled Hosseini. The novel tells the devas- tating history of Afghanistan over the past 30 years but it is also about the power that fathers have over sons, betrayal by friends, and the Oct 1-31 • Third Annual Juried Art Exhibit, Framer’s Gallery, 610 S. Main Street Oct 1-2 • Fiddlin’ Fest:acoustical music, arts & crafts on the Square Oct 7 • First Friday,6-8 p.m. Oct 8 • Market Days,10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Oct 13 • Taste of Georgetown,Grace Heritage Center parking lot, 6 – 8 p.m. Oct 22-23 • Art Walk on the Square, music, entertainment, food and artwork Oct 27 • Hayride in San Gabriel Park, carnival at Community Center Oct 29 • Charlie Brown Film Festival, downtown Square, 3 – 7 p.m. For details, call the Downtown Georgetown Association at (512) 868-8675, or the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau at (512) 930-3545, or on their web site at www.visitgeorgetown.com. Anthony Lincoln Fire Chief Started with City in 1979 Education/ Background: Advanced Certificate and Intermediate Instructor with the Texas Commission on Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Technician certification with Texas Department of State Health Services. Began mak- ing fire calls at the age of 10 with my father, who was a Georgetown volunteer firefighter. Joined the fire- fighting explorer post, and after graduating from Georgetown High School, became a volunteer firefight- er. Began my career in the fire serv- ice working at Fire Protection Training Division at Texas A&M University College Station. Employed with the City of Georgetown for 26 years, serving as the Fire Chief for the past six years. Most memorable moments on the job? Being involved in major fire inci- dents such as the Lackey and Clark Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, Centex Propane Storage Facility and Comfort Inn Hotel. Also, being promoted from within the organiza- tion to Fire Chief and having the opportunity to lead the fire depart- ment through the growth and chal- lenges of this growing community. What do you like best about working for the City? The opportunity to work with tal- ented staff that truly believes in their own capabilities and the support to build a fire department that is sec- ond to none in providing services to the community. Favorite things to do in your free time? I like hunting, fishing, team roping, being outdoors in the mountains of Colorado, working in my shop on welding projects, and spending time with my children. Employee Profile Cast Your Vote for Georgetown Reads! DOWN TOWN Happenings