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Georgetown on Top Christmas Destinations in America List
Georgetown was recently named a top 50 Christmas destination in America in a list published by Newsmax, an online news source. Georgetown is number 7 in the U.S. on the list and is the only Texas city in the top 19 places. San Antonio is number 20.
According to the article, “Newsmax has rounded up 50 of the very best places in America for you and your loved ones to visit this Christmas season—places that will etch themselves forever in both your memories and your hearts. Our list isn’t defined specifically by size or by number of visitors, but you’ll notice that each location’s unique, wholesome, and family-oriented events and activities help shape these rankings.”
In the number 7 ranking for Georgetown, the article cites Christmas festivities like “an annual window display competition between 18 stores for the most lavish Christmas show, and the 35th Annual Christmas Stroll through Georgetown Square’s Bethlehem Village, which is like a Christmas card come to life.”
Other special Christmas and holiday events in Georgetown include the annual Lighting of the Square event, Breakfast with Santa, the Blue Santa toy drive, holiday events at the public library, two holiday home tours, holiday concerts, and many other events by nonprofits and churches in Georgetown.
Lights on the Courthouse and on buildings and in trees around the downtown Square are on display through January 2. To find out more about the lights and holiday season in Georgetown, go to Annual Lighting of the Square.
Operation Warm Aims to Buy Coats for Local Kids
It’s December and the weather is getting colder, but not every child in Georgetown has a winter coat to stay warm. Georgetown firefighters have initiated Operation Warm to help ensure that every child in Georgetown has a warm coat to wear.
The Georgetown Fire Department and the Georgetown Association of Professional Fire Fighters are sponsoring Operation Warm, the second year of the program to provide coats for local children who need them. The program expects to provide coats to 150 children in need who were identified by The Caring Place in Georgetown.
How can you help? Here’s two ways:
Raffle Drawing
Georgetown firefighters are selling raffle tickets in order to purchase new winter coats for kids. Raffle tickets are $5 each. The raffle drawing to determine the winner will be on December 12, so buy your tickets by December 11.
Purchase raffle tickets at any of the five fire stations in Georgetown. To find station locations, go to fire.georgetown.org/emergency-services/stations.
The raffle winner will receive half of the raffle proceeds, which could be as much as $5,000. The remainder of the raffle proceeds will be used to purchase new winter coats for kids in Georgetown.
After the raffle drawing on December 12, the winner will be announced on the Georgetown Association of Professional Fire Fighters website at gapff.org.
Donations
Donations for Operation Warm to provide coats for kids can be made at www.operationwarm.org. Monetary donations to Operation Warm also can be made in-person at any of the five Georgetown fire stations. All monetary donations collected will be used to purchase coats for children in Georgetown.
“Our goal is to help as many kids in our community as we can to stay warm in the winter months,” says Daniel Bilbrey, a driver for the Georgetown Fire Department.
To learn more about Operation Warm and how you can help, go to the Georgetown Association of Professional Fire Fighters website at gapff.org or www.operationwarm.org.
Street Sealant Work in Sun City: Updated Dec. 7
Update, Dec. 7: The street sealant work in Sun City has been hampering residential seasonal shopping traffic and local parcel deliveries. To reduce disruptions, City crews will be finishing the roadways already started and suspending further sealing until after the first of the year. Existing work should be completed by Wednesday, December 9. (See the updated schedule below.) The sealing will be resumed in January when disruption to residents and crews will be minimized. Notification of the new schedule will be provided after the first of the year.
Below is the schedule for the sealant work, which will happen from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Rain may cause changes to the schedule. The attached color-coded map (below) shows the sections that correspond to the dates.
| Date: | Section on map | Neighborhood numbers |
| Monday, December 7 | Section 2 | 40, 41, 43 |
| Tuesday, December 8 | Section 2 | 41 |
| Wednesday, December 9 | Section 2 | 41 |
The sealant product, also called a rejuvenator application, seals the pavement and slows the oxidation process, extending the life of the pavement. The sealant treatment helps to defer more costly maintenance work.
Look for warning signs and flaggers who will be stationed throughout the neighborhood to provide residents with directions. The sealant will be applied to one half of the road at a time. Once the first half has dried, the second half of the roadway will be treated.
Each application typically takes 30 minutes to an hour to dry. High humidity may extend the drying time.
Crews will work to minimize disruptions during the sealant application process.
Driveway Access Affected: A small orange cone will be placed in each driveway to signal that the sealant has been applied on the street and is in the 60-minute drying process. Residents should avoid driving on the freshly-applied sealant until the driveway cones have been removed. Flaggers will be present to give instructions on temporary parking locations while the sealant is drying.
Schedule changes: This schedule could vary due to rain, other weather conditions, equipment failure, or product availability. The City will update this schedule if there are changes.
Questions about this street work should be directed to Georgetown Utility Systems Customer Care at (512) 930-3640.
Georgetown Arts & Culture Board Awards Grants to Local Organizations
The City of Georgetown Arts & Culture Board approved just over $20,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations and schools in November. The grants will help fund local art, music, theatre, and cultural heritage events or projects in Georgetown.
The amounts and projects funded in this grant cycle are:
Festival of the Arts for two Festival events (a film presentation and a concert): $2,280
Frost and Williams elementary schools for Learn to Draw assemblies with Mark Kistler: $2,230 and $1,508 respectively
Georgetown Art Works for expenses associated with the exhibit Working Colors – The Work of Henry Isaacs: $2,280
Georgetown Heritage Society for a fundraising event called The Amazing Heritage Quest: $1,520
Georgetown Symphony Society for assistance with its 2015-2016 season: $2,280
Georgetown High School Theatre Dept. for shelving and plays to create a play scripts library: $1,520
Handcrafts Unlimited for advertising/marketing: $1,140
Georgetown Palace Theatre to help fund inclusion shows: $2,280
Williamson County Symphony Orchestra for funding a pops concert: $2,280
Williamson Museum for Hispanic Heritage Month expenses: $760
Funds are for events in Georgetown occurring between December 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016.
For more information about the work of the City of Georgetown Arts & Culture Board, visit arts.georgetown.org/georgetown-arts-culture-board.
Blue Santa Collecting Toys for Kids
Blue Santa’s elves are busy in their workshop getting ready for the annual campaign to provide toys to children in need in Georgetown. Each year Blue Santa, a program of the Georgetown Police Department, provides toys to more than 1,500 children in Georgetown. And each year Blue Santa needs your help.
Blue Santa is collecting toys at the Christmas Stroll Parade at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 5. New, unwrapped toys will be collected by Blue Santa Elves along the parade route.
New, unwrapped toys also may be dropped off in donation barrels in businesses and offices in Georgetown. For a list of donation sites, go to BlueSanta.Georgetown.org.
Monetary donations to purchase toys also are accepted. Checks to “CPAAA Blue Santa” should be sent to the Georgetown Police Department, c/o CPAAA Programs, 3500 DB Wood Road, Georgetown, TX, 78628. Donate $15 or more to Georgetown Blue Santa and you’ll receive a collectible Blue Santa Elf lapel pin.
December 1 is the application deadline for assistance from Blue Santa. Applications are available at The Caring Place at 2000 Railroad Street and the Georgetown Police Department at the Public Safety Operations and Training Center at 3500 DB Wood Road. Children who qualify for Blue Santa are age 18 or younger, live in Georgetown city limits, and qualify for free or reduced lunch program at school or meet federal poverty guidelines.
For information about donation events and barrel locations, go to BlueSanta.Georgetown.org.
Call for Proposals: Downtown Georgetown Mural
The City of Georgetown’s Arts and Culture Board is issuing a call for artist proposals for a mural to be located on the rear wall of 107 W. Seventh Street, Georgetown, Texas. The goal of the mural is to provide a piece of public art of interest to residents and visitors that tells the story of how Henry Purl Compton (nicknamed “Okra”) helped Georgetown to become the Red Poppy Capital of Texas.
Background information on the topic can be downloaded here, along with the Call to Artists:
Call to Artists – Mural 2016 This document contains detailed requirements for all proposals.
From War Zone to Poppy Zone Excerpt This excerpt from From War Zone to Poppy Zone: The Story of Okra Compton and the Georgetown Red Poppies was edited by Janelle Eastham. It was published in 1993 by the Williamson County Genealogical Society in cooperation with the City of Georgetown.
“Son of WWI Soldier Tells How Red Poppies Came to Georgetown“ This press release was written by City of Georgetown Public Communication Manager Keith Hutchinson in 2007.
The deadline for proposals is 5 pm on Friday, January 8, 2016. Artists will be notified about the Board’s selection by Friday, January 22, 2016. All work must be completed by Friday, April 15, 2016.
Submit mural proposals to Lawren Weiss, Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. Eighth Street, Georgetown, TX, 78626, or by email to Lawren.Weiss@georgetown.org.
Applicants who have questions about the application process should contact Library Director Eric Lashley at 512-930-3551 or Eric.Lashley@georgetown.org.
Animal Shelter Sets Record for Live Outcomes
The Georgetown Animal Shelter has reached a major milestone by attaining the highest live outcome rate ever achieved by the shelter. In the fiscal year that ended on September 30, the shelter’s live outcome rate was 96 percent for cats and dogs.
The 4 percent annual euthanasia rate, which means the shelter has again attained no-kill status, is a significant reduction from 2009 when the rate was 34 percent.
In addition, from October 1, 2014 through September 30 this year, the shelter achieved no-kill status in every month with an overall euthanasia rate for cats and dogs of 4 percent. A rate of 10 percent or lower is considered no-kill among animal shelters.
Jackie Carey, animal services manager, says that dogs and cats are euthanized only when they are not adoptable due to serious health problems or behavioral issues that could pose a safety risk. “We don’t euthanize to make an empty cage,” says Carey. The euthanasia rate is down 58 percent this year compared to last year.
Carey cites a number of reasons why they have achieved such a high live outcome rate.
Keeping animals healthy and reducing the spread of disease is a key factor. “We have a really dedicated staff and a super clean facility,” says Carey. “We did not have any major disease outbreaks last year.” Sanitation and disease control procedures are important elements in keeping the animals healthy.
New flooring, paint, and a new cat adoption area also help in the effort to keep the shelter sanitized. “Our shelter smells clean,” says Carey.
The new cat adoption room is a better environment for the cats. “The cats are happier because they are not in cages,” says Carey. “When cats are free to roam in a room and are not confined to a cage, they are happier. They are less stressed and they stay healthier.”
The high adoption rate for cats and dogs is another fundamental component of the high live outcome rate at the shelter. In the 2015 fiscal year there were a record number of adoptions at 1,004, which is an 11 percent increase over the prior year. That included a record 610 cat adoptions, which is a 22 percent increase over the prior year.
A number of efforts contribute to the high adoption rate at the shelter. One is the relationship between the shelter and the PetSmart store at the Wolf Ranch shopping center. The cats in the adoption area at PetSmart tend to get adopted quickly since they have many people seeing them each day. “Jessie Pierce on our staff does a great job of making sure that the adoption enclosures at PetSmart are full,” says Carey.
A second program is a connection with Austin Pets Alive to place feral cats that come to the shelter into adoption as barn cats. “Austin Pets Alive has a larger number of requests for barn cats. When feral cats come to the shelter, we fully vet them so they can go into their barn cat program. It’s a win-win situation for everyone,” says Carey.
A third program has helped boost the adoptions for dogs. This year the shelter instituted a new training regimen for dogs called Dogs Playing for Life. In the program the shelter technicians and volunteers use a trained helper dog when they work with the dogs in the play yard at the shelter. “We put them into play groups and help them learn new play manners,” says Carey. “A dog may be aggressive in a cage, but if you socialize them with other dogs and teach them how to play, then they learn how to play well with other dogs.”
Carey says that recently one dog that came to the shelter was very aggressive toward other dogs. “She was very dog aggressive. But our volunteers and techs worked with her and now she’s fine.”
All of the efforts to boost adoptions of dogs and cats have contributed to the record live outcome rate for 2015.
This was the second year in a row that the shelter has attained the no-kill standard with a live outcome rate of 90 percent or higher.
The Georgetown Animal Shelter is located at 110 W.L. Walden Drive and is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m. The shelter is closed on Wednesday. Contact the shelter at (512) 930-3592 or online at pets.georgetown.org.
Georgetown Hosts Seventh Annual Pipe Band Clinic
The Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums Band will host a two-day Bagpipes and Drums clinic on Thursday, November 12 and Friday, November 13 at the First Baptist Church, 1333 W. University Avenue in Georgetown. The clinic will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Members from Fire Department Pipe Bands across Texas will be in attendance, with some members coming from outside Texas, traveling from as far as Missouri. More than 60 attendees from 12 fire departments and three police departments are expected.
Several years ago there were only a few bands of this type in Texas. That number has grown to more than 30 in recent years. In the event of a fallen public servant, pipes and drums bands from across the state gather to pay tribute at the funeral by playing a common repertoire of music. Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums provide the attendees with elite instruction as part of their mission statement.
On Thursday and Friday, attendees will receive instruction from three piping instructors and four drumming instructors. The piping instructors include Pipe Major Ian K. MacDonald with the Toronto Police Pipe Band, Piper Lori Waters with the Silver Thistle Pipe band in Austin, and Pipe Major Todd Bircher with the Austin Police Pipe Band and Emergency Services Pipes and Drums Association in Austin. The advanced snare drumming instructors include Stephen Cameron, and Jon Greene. Georgetown Fire Department Captain and drum sergeant Robert Gordon will instruct the beginner snare drummers and Georgetown Fire Department Captain David England will instruct the bass drummers.
For more information about the clinic or the Georgetown Fire Department Pipes and Drums band, please visit www.gfdpipesanddrums.com or on Facebook. The band has a fund established with the Chisholm Trail Communities Foundation to accept tax deductible donations.
Burglaries from Vehicles—Where and Why
The holiday shopping season is beginning, and that means extra precautions for gift items left in vehicles in shopping mall parking lots. Unfortunately, each holiday season, thieves steal items out of vehicles at the mall. For that reason, the holidays are an especially important time to get in the habit of locking your car doors and putting items in the trunk.
While that is sound advice, the Georgetown Police Department has some surprising data on where burglaries from vehicles are occurring and why. Most incidents are not happening at shopping malls and at businesses in Georgetown.
In the first nine months of 2015, two thirds of the burglaries from vehicles in Georgetown happened when the vehicle was parked at a house or apartment. Only 24 percent of the incidents happened at a mall or other commercial location.
Given that most burglaries from vehicles are happening when the car is parked at someone’s residence, how are they occurring?
For the 92 residential burglaries of vehicles that happened in January through October of this year, 74 percent were from an unlocked vehicle. Overall, 63 percent of the burglaries from vehicles in 2015 were from unlocked vehicles.
The surprising fact that emerges is that many people don’t lock their vehicles while at home. However, this is where thieves are most likely to steal items from cars.
Lt. Jim Seals says that officers and volunteers have contacted many businesses in the city to make them aware of the vehicle burglary trends. “We’ve contacted every bank in town and also have talked to the hotels and most of the restaurants,” says Seals.
Two years ago the Police Department started an intensified effort to reduce burglaries from vehicles. There were 332 incidents in 2013 and only 134 in 2014. In 2015 there were 57 burglaries of vehicles from January through June. However, in the month of September there were 34 incidents, which is the highest monthly total since July 2013.
Lt. Seals says, “We’ve reached out to businesses in Georgetown to make them aware of the issue. Hotels, restaurants, and apartment complexes close to I-35 seem to be a target for thieves since there is an easy escape route. Now we need to get the word to residents.”
Locking your car door when you’re at the mall, at a business, and also at home is the key to reducing this crime, says Lt. Seals.
“It takes less than 60 seconds for a thief to enter your vehicle and be gone with anything you leave—your wallet, credit cards, computer, cell phone, garage door opener or anything of value,” says Ray Dorton, a volunteer with Citizens on Patrol. “Should you leave your garage door opener in the vehicle the criminal can take it and come back later, break into your home thus allowing yourself to become a victim for a second time.”
The simple habit of locking your car door, no matter where you are, can greatly reduce the chances that you’ll be the next victim.
Concrete Analysis on Austin Avenue Bridges
This week technicians with WJE, an engineering and materials science firm, took samples of concrete from the Austin Avenue Bridges over the San Gabriel River.
Using a small drilling machine, non-destructive core samples were taken from the bridge deck and the bridge support structures. Ground penetrating radar technology also is being used to determine the condition of piers, foundations, and abutments to the bridges.
The core samples and radar results will be analyzed in a lab to determine the properties of the concrete and reinforced structures of the bridge.
Results of the testing will be reviewed by engineers with Aguirre and Fields and engineers for the City. Aguirre and Fields is working for the City to assess the bridges and develop options for repair or replacement.
Next year the City will hold meetings for public input on the design of the new Austin Avenue Bridges.
The City Council will consider this public input and is expected to decide on a bridge replacement option later next year.
Design work on the bridges will likely begin later in 2016 or in 2017. Construction work on new bridges could take 12 to 24 months.
A weight limit was placed on the bridges last year following a structural assessment by the Texas Department of Transportation. The maximum gross weight for each bridge is 48,000 pounds or 24 tons. The weight limit for a tandem axle on a vehicle is 21,000 pounds or 10.5 tons.
