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HomeMy WebLinkAboutE-Communicator-City Publications-6/30/2012IN THIS ISSUE SUMMER WATER CONSERVATION ENCOURAGED Summer Water Conservation Encouraged 4th of July Closings Citizen Committee, Board & Commission Applications Teen Curfew City Cable Upgrade While the two-day-a-weekoutdoor watering restriction Colleyville history: waslifted in May, the early arrival ofhigh temperatures Bootlegging in Bransford and lessfrequent rainfall means acontinuing emphasis on City Notes: Summer thenecessity to conserve waterthroughout the year, Reading at the Library, butespecially in the summer whenwater usage is at its Recreation Programs peak. Residents should be aware thatwhile the twice-a-week restrictionon outdoor watering was lifted,the restriction on outdoorwatering from 10 a.m. until 6p.m. remains in effect. Thisavoids losing most of the water toevaporation QUICK LINKS due to high daytimetemperatures. Violators may befined up to $2,000 per violation,according to city CITY OF COLLEYVILLE ordinance.Hand-watering is allowed andprivate water wells used forirrigation are exempt. CITY NEWS According to the TarrantRegional Water District (TRWD), PUBLIC MEETINGS lawn watering accounts for half ormore of ALL residential wateruses. And according to experts,most North Texas lawns get twicethe water required for a healthylawn. Smart outdoor wateringtakes little effort, but can make abig difference in saving water. JULY ACTIVITIES Many water conservationmethods can be accomplished bymodifying just a few everydayhabits and using Gentle Stretch Yoga* inexpensiveupgrades to technologies in yourhome Senior Center landscape. Texas A&M'sAgriLIFE Research & Extension Sat., July 7-28, 9:45 a.m. service has provided the tipsbelow. For more tips and 817.503.1180 resource information, visit theSummer Water . Conservationpage at Colleyville.com Indoor Flag Football Colleyville Elementary Landscape Watering: School - Don't overwater. Even duringthe summer, only apply Mon.-Thu. oneinch of water on the lawn everyseven days. This July 9-12, 1:00 p.m. encourages adeep root system and a healthylawn. 817.503.1180 - Rain water counts. If it rains,there is no need to water. - Water by hand or run sprinklersin manual mode. - For an automatic sprinklersystem, adjust the heads to Bongo Rod & His water the landscape and not thepavement. Be sure to Coconutty Buddies check thesystem regularly for leaks ormisdirected spray Colleyville Public Library heads. Tue., July 10, 2:00 p.m. - Install and maintain rain/freezesensors. 817.503.1150 Landscaping: Mad Science ALL STARS - Use native and adapted plantsthat are more suited to Rock House at McPherson theTexas climate in which we live.Native plants use less Park water,fertilizer, and pesticides. Mon.-Thu. - To water shrub beds, groundcover, gardens, and trees, July 16-19, 9:00 a.m. use adrip irrigation system andsoaker hoses that apply 817.503.1180 waterto the roots where it provide themost benefit. - To hold moisture and limit weedgrowth, keep a 3- to 4- Great Big Messy Art Camp inchlayer of organic mulch on flowerbeds, around trees, by Abrakadoodle shrubs, andground covers. Rock House at McPherson - Plant during the fall or earlyspring when water Park requirementsare lowest. Mon.-Fri. - Taller grass blades hold moistureand slow evaporation, July 16-20, 9:00 a.m. socut grass at a higher settingand leave clippings on the 817.503.1180 ground to return nutrients tothe soil. Brothers Gromm, Pools: Puppeteers - Just like watering the lawn,exposed pool water Colleyville Public Library evaporates.Install a pool cover to reducethe evaporation Thu., July 26, 2:00 p.m. rate. 817.503.1150 - Fill the pool manually. Teddy Bear Tea Party Cleaning: - Sweep the sidewalk or driveway;do not use water to Rock House at McPherson Park hose itdown. - Use a commercial car wash thatuses recycled water. Mon.-Thu. July 30-Aug. 2 - Bathe pets outdoors in an areathat needs to be watered. 10:00 a.m. For details, call 4TH OF JULY CLOSINGS 817.503.1180 *Denotes a regular City offices, including theColleyville Public Library and recreation Colleyville Senior Center, willbe closed Wednesday, July activity held at Senior Center 4.Police, fire, and emergencypersonnel will remain on duty. For a complete event/activity Trash and recycle collectionwill not be affected by the listing, visit Colleyville.com. . SUMMER holiday closures and willcontinue on the regularschedule View a complete listing of VIAL OF LIFEPROGRAM ents activities and ev With summer upon us, seriousincidences of heat-related illnesses are almost a certainty.For emergency personnel City of Colleyville responding to these calls, a fewminutes can make a 817.503.1000 difference. Suggestionsor Comments? Knowledge of a person'smedication(s) can be critical. TheVial of Life program provides thataccess through a free medicalinformation kit. Participantscomplete the form included withthe kit and place it, along withaphotograph, in a clear plasticbag. The bag, labeled with aspecial decal, is placed on therefrigerator. A second decal isplaced on the front door to alertfirst responders to the medicalinformation. The program is administeredthrough the FireDepartment,which works in conjunction withthe Citizens Fire Academy AlumniAssociation to meet the demandand keep the kits in stock. Vial ofLife kits and program details areavailable through the FireDepartment at 17.503.1400. CITIZEN COMMITTEE,BOARD & COMMISSIONAPPLICATIONS The Colleyville City Councilencourages all citizens to get involved with city government.Applications will be accepted July2 through Aug. 31, for the following boards, commissions,and committees: - Planning and ZoningCommission - Zoning Board of Adjustment - Economic DevelopmentCorporation Board - Library Board - Historical PreservationCommittee - Metroport Teen CourtAdvisory Board - Senior Center AdvisoryCommittee Access applications atColleyville.com or through the city secretary's office. Completedapplications should be submittedto the city secretary via email to csingleton@colleyville.com, byfax to 817.503.1139, or by mailto: City of Colleyville CitySecretary 100 Main Street Colleyville, Texas 76034 Foradditional information, call817.503.1130. TEEN CURFEW With school out for summer, theColleyville Police Departmentreminds parents and guardiansabout Colleyville's year-roundteen curfew. The curfew applies to persons under the age of 17and is in effect Sunday- Thursday,from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., andFriday-Saturday, from midnightto 6 a.m. A minor in a public place orestablishment during these timesis in violation of the curfew.Parents or guardians, as well asbusiness operators, may also bein violation of the curfew if theyknowingly permit a minor toremain on any public premisespast curfew hours. For more information, visit Colleyville.comor call 817.503.1200. CITY CABLE UPGRADE The city's cable channel operationhas recently undergone an Upgrade. In addition to anenhanced presentation format,the channel now has videocapability. In addition to airingcity council, and planning andzoning meetings, the city's cableofferings will include city produced videos on Colleyville specificissues and initiatives, as well videos from other agencies,such as Texas Parks & Wildlife. The Colleyville cable channel isavailable on Time Warner andVerizon, channels 15 and 16,respectively.The city's cable channel canalso be viewed online atColleyville.com under theWebcasts & Live Streaming title,under the CITY HALL section. Colleyville history: BOOTLEGGING IN BRANSFORD During the Depression years of the 1930s, Lewis Fry needed a way to supplement his income and provide for his immediate and extended family. He learned of a moonshine operation located in the river bottoms between Grapevine and Dallas. The man had been warned by the Dallas Sheriff's Department that he had to shut down. Before the law enforcement officers could find and destroy the man's equipment, Lewis Fry bought his still and recipe. The old still was not in the best condition and constantly leaked along the seams. Before epoxy and super glues were available, Mr. Fry found a fix to stop the valuable liquids from leaking from the still. He mixed a paste from water and flour and spread it over the seams. This was allowed to dry before the batch was started. The process had to be repeated for each batch. To start the operation, forty gallons of good well water were poured into a fifty-five gallon barrel. Then fifty pounds of ground corn, sixty-five pounds of sugar and three large yeast cakes were added. This mix was stirred well and allowed to ferment for six days. Then the fermented liquid was removed from the barrel and poured into the copper still. A wood-burning fire was started under the still and the contents were brought to a boil. A lid was placed on top of the still with about twenty feet of coiled copper tubing leading from the lid through a barrel filled with cool water. The condensation collected at the end of the copper tubing was the moonshine or corn whisky. The total cost for the material to produce a batch was about $1. He sold a half-gallon jar for $1.50 resulting in a profit of $11 for a week's work. Mr. Fry had testing equipment to insure the end product was at least 110 proof. Frequent tasting and sampling by the operator was the best method to insure quality. Mr. Fry was proud of the quality of his product, and it was much in demand by many citizens of North Texas. Because Mr. Fry was a skilled distiller and produced a fine blend of whiskey, his reputation spread. After a couple of years in operation, the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department started asking questions. Lewis was driving north on Pleasant Run Road one day near the old school when he was stopped and questioned. He knew then it was time to shut down. It was customary in those days for the sheriff's deputies to totally destroy any stills in operation. Lewis wanted to hide his still so this would not happen. One night, he loaded up all his equipment from their place on Westcoat Drive and drove to the pond on Benedict's Farm at the corner of Westcoat and McDonwell School Road. Lewis carried his equipment, piece by piece into the middle of the pond, filled it with water, and let it sink to the bottom. The next day, he observed the sheriff's deputies driving by his house without stopping and asking questions. They drove straight to the pond, got out of their cars, and each with an axe walked into the pond, located the still, and chopped it full of holes. Lewis believes they had been tipped off as to the location of his still. The following day, not to be totally outdone, Lewis waded out into the pond and retrieved the destroyed still and copper tubing. He took it into Fort Worth and sold it to a metal dealer for $3 as scrap. The Colleyville history book, Colleyville Then and Now, is available for purchase from the Colleyville Historical Preservation Committee. For information, call 817.503.1120 or email Colleyville@colleyville.com. CITY NOTES Summer Reading Program The 2012 Summer Reading Program is set to kick off on Saturday, June 9, at 10 a.m. at the Colleyville Public Library. It is open to children, teens, and adults. This year's theme is "Reading is so Delicious." One of the most popular programs offered by the city, this year's Summer Reading line-up includes Mad Science, Critterman, the Bubble Chef, Snake Encounters, and more. Registration for the free program is required and begins Monday, June 4. The Summer Reading Program concludes Friday, Aug. 3, with an Ice Cream Social Finale. For more information, call the library at 817.503.1150. Summer Recreation Programs The city offers a full slate of camps, classes, and activities through the Parks and Recreation Department. Camps include: Animal Fun, Under the Sea, Bug Camp, Rocket Ride to Space, Mad Science ALL STARS, and various sports camps, including the Fort Worth Cats All-Skills Camp.View all the summer recreation opportunities