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HomeMy WebLinkAboutReporter Dec 08© City of Georgetown, 2008 VOL. 6 • NO. 12 A Publication of the City of Georgetown DECEMBER 2008 DowntownHappenings The Palace TheaterThe Gifts of the Magi, weekends Nov. 28 - Dec. 23Love, Sex, and the IRS, weekends Jan. 9 - Feb. 1Details atwww.GeorgetownPalace.com or call (512) 869-7469. First Friday, Dec. 5Downtown shops, galleries, andrestaurants open 6 – 8 p.m. Christmas Stroll, Dec.6Entertainment, photos withSanta, horse-drawn carriage rides,and the Stroll parade. Hours arenoon – 8 p.m. Details at theDowntown Georgetown Assoc.website at dgagtx.org. Breakfast with Santa, Dec. 13Fire Station 1 at 301 IndustrialAve.: sessions at 8:00 and 11:00a.m. Benefits needy families inGeorgetown. Sponsored by theSun City Rotary, ExtendedSchool Enrichment Program, andthe Georgetown Fire Dept. Market Days, Dec. 13Handmade arts and crafts, jewel-ry, woodcrafts, ironworks,Animal Shelter adoptions, food,and more, on the streets aroundthe Square, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Holiday Home Tour, Dec. 13 & 14This year’s tour has five distinctlybeautiful homes, including a homeconstructed largely from reclaimedmaterials local to Georgetown.Sponsored by the GeorgetownHeritage Society, 12 to 5 p.m.Tickets are $10 and available atthe Visitor Information Center at101 W. Seventh Street. Details atwww.GeorgetownHeritageSociety.com Creating a more sustainable community starts in the home or workplace. There are many ways you can help, including a number of services or programs by the City of Georgetown. In reducing your environmental impact, you may also save some green. That makes sense for everyone. What you can do: Install solar panels or a wind generator at your home and get paid on your City electricity bill for the clean energy you produce. Contact Inspection Services at (512) 930-2550 or inspection@ georgetowntx.org. Home solar panels could be eligible for a feder- al tax credit. See the State Energy Conservation Office at www.seco. cpa.state.tx.us for details. Use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in your home and workplace. Energy Star qualified CFL bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandes- cent bulbs and last up to ten times longer. Find out more at www.energystar.gov. Conserve water by irrigating your lawn no more than twice weekly in the summer months. Reduce irrigation during the winter months when grass is dormant and doesn’t need much water. Recycle using your curbside bin: Bike lanes were included in new roads like Wolf Ranch Parkway and are planned for several future roads in Georgetown. Wastewater treatment plants recycle water by selling treated water to large irrigation users like golf courses. The vehicle fleet includes eleven Ford Escape hybrids. newspapers, magazines, white paper, paperback books or hardcov- er books with covers removed, aluminum and steel (tin) cans, glass bottles, and plastics (#1 and #2) are accepted. Recycle your Christmas tree or corrugated cardboard at the Collection Station at 250 W.L. Walden Drive. Christmas tree drop- off is free to City residents January 2 to 31. Drop off corrugated card- board at the Collection Station any time of the year—free for residen- tial utility customers inside or out- side the City. Use mulch for flower beds and around trees. Mulch helps maintain soil moisture, controls weeds, and is free to city residents at the Collection Station. Special varieties are also available at the Collection Station. Use native plants in your land- scape since they are adapted to the The development code protects large trees and clusters of trees in new developments. The code also encourages sensitive land develop- ment, the use of native and/or drought-tolerant plants, and walkable neighborhoods. A parkland dedication ordinance requires parkland to be set aside when new developments are planned. area and generally require less water. See the Native Plant Society for plant lists and information: www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty. Compost yard and kitchen waste in a backyard compost bin or com- post pile. Get started with informa- tion at www.epa.gov (search for “composting”). Compost products and soil amendments are available at the Gardenville store at the Collection Station. Find out more at www.garden-ville.com. Dispose of household hazardous waste properly by using vouchers (available to residential utility customers) at the Williamson County Recycle Center. Find out more at www.georgetown.org/ departments/sanitation. Get involved in plans for a bus transit system and commuter rail to serve Georgetown. Find out more at www.georgetown.org/ departments/ds/transit.php. Environmental sustainability Green Sense What the City is doing: Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org Donations of new, unwrapped toys to Blue Santa can be made at the Georgetown Police Department, at City Fire Stations, or in donation barrels at many businesses in Georgetown. The deadline for toy donations is December 10, but monetary donations can be made at any time. Donations of clothing or bicycles cannot be accepted by Blue Santa, but can be made at Goodwill or The Caring Place. Last year, more than 1,300 chil- dren received toys from Blue Santa says Linda Lipscomb, the volunteer coordinator for Blue Santa. The annual program of the Georgetown Police Department provides toys for more than 500 families. Monetary donations are encouraged. Checks to “Blue Santa” should be sent to the Georgetown Police Department, 809 MLK, Jr. Street, Georgetown, TX, 78626. Donations are deposited in the account of the Police Activities League, a nonprofit for commu- nity programs such as Blue Santa. Applications to apply for gifts from Blue Santa should be made at The Caring Place at 2000 Railroad Avenue. The deadline is December 3. For all the details including application information or to donate online, visit the Blue Santa website at www.BlueSantaGeorgetown.org. Holiday Fun at the Georgetown Public Library Gingerbread House Contest It doesn’t have to be gingerbread and it doesn’t have to be a house! This contest is an annual library tradition. You may make any structure you choose, but all building materials should be edible. Enhanced kits will compete in the kit category. Entry categories include houses built from a kit, an original design built by two or more persons, or original designs built by one person with divisions for 8 or younger, ages 9 – 12, ages 13 – 17, and ages 18 or older. A $25 gift card will be awarded in each category. Entries will be accepted December 5 – 8 from 9 a.m. until 30- minutes prior to closing time. Voting by the public takes place December 9 – 15. Winners will be announced on December 17. All entries will be displayed until December 20. A Visit with Santa,the annual holiday party for children, will be on Thursday, December 4, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Enjoy stories, music, and food, and, of course, a chance for children to talk with Santa! Parents and caregivers are invited to bring cameras for photos with Santa. Hill Country Flute Ensemble plays a program of Christmas hymns and carols on Saturday, December 13 from 2 to 4 p.m. Harp music by Hannah Malone, Bethany Malone, and Danielle Cordray on Wednesday, December 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. The program will include Christmas music, folk songs, hymns, and classical pieces. Blue Santa Brings Holiday Smiles The Georgetown City Reporter is a publication of the City of Georgetown PublicInformation Office located in City Hall, 113E. Eighth Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact KeithHutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org.Holiday events, entertainment, and shopping in Georgetown. Find it all at www.GeorgetownHoliday.com. Holiday Closings City offices closed: Dec. 24 and 25 Jan. 1, 2009 Regular solid waste (garbage) and recycling pickup on Dec. 24. No solid waste or recycling pickup on Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, 2009. Collection slides one day for remainder of each week.